Ranchi: “Only God saved me and it was a nightmare that will continue to haunt me, says Bihar Minister Nitin Naveen whose car had got stranded amid a mob near the Hanuman Temple on Ranchi’s Main Road on Friday when protests over controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad led to violence.
The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member and Bihar Road Construction Minister Nitin Naveen was on way to attend a family function at that time.
Violent protests rocked Ranchi on Friday following the alleged derogatory remarks of now-suspended BJP spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal about the Prophet.
“What I underwent was a nightmare that will continue to haunt me. I believe only God saved me. I was in Ranchi to attend a family function and was staying at Capitol Hill on the Main Road. Post lunch when I planned to move to Morabadi, we saw an unusual gathering and then protests. When vehicles started to move, we thought we will also start but little did we not know that it will be so violent. My car was stuck near the Hanuman Temple and Kali Mandir on Main Road and the mob had started throwing stones, Naveen told PTI over the phone from Patna.
The minister said usually he stays at the State Guest House while visiting Ranchi but this time he preferred to stay at a hotel in view of the by-election to the Mandar assembly seat on June 23 and keeping in mind the model code of conduct.
“My escort was left behind and I found there were no policemen. The law enforcers arrived later and protestors began firing which led to counter-firing by the police. I was trapped in the crossfire. Stones were being hurled, rioting and arson took place and my SUV was attacked from all sides. Fortunately, my driver continued to drive slowly but bike-borne miscreants chased us, the minister said.
His vehicle was almost smashed by the time it reached Kashmir Vastralaya, a prominent shop in the Jharkhand capital.
Imagine yourself surrounded by thousands of people with firearms, iron rods, bricks, and weapons. I will never forget the aggression of the mob and somehow we could save our lives, Naveen said.
When the administration knew of the protests, how could it not deploy an adequate police force? he asked.
Asked whether he lodged an FIR in this connection, he said he e-mailed his FIR to Jharkhand DGP Neeraj Sinha who has assured him of taking action.
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