Arrest of BJP leaders over Jamshedpur violence 'politically motivated', says Arjun Munda

Union minister Arjun Munda on Friday claimed the arrest of BJP leaders in connection with the recent violence in Jamshedpur was "politically motivated" while accusing the local administration of turning a "small incident into an unpleasant one".

Munda, the tribal affairs minister, during the day visited the Ghaghidih Central Jail here and met BJP leaders Abhay Singh, former East Singhbhum district president and Sudhansu Ojha, vice-president of the district committee.

“The arrest of BJP leaders and workers is politically motivated. We strongly condemn such incidents, but the approach of the administration should have been impartial and not under any pressure,” Munda told reporters.

“There are several people among the arrested, who had nothing to do with the incident, and were still apprehended from various places under political pressure,” he alleged.

A total of 70 people, including two BJP leaders, have been arrested in connection with the violence over alleged desecration of a religious flag in Shastrinagar area on Sunday. BJP workers are engaged in nation-building work, Munda asserted, adding, his party will not allow injustice to be meted out to them.

“It was a small incident, but the administration turned it into an unpleasant one,” the minister alleged.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC are still in force in the area, police said.