Patna (Bihar) [India], July 5 : While reasserting that Bharat Bhushan Tiwari's police encounter was "wrong", Bihar Minister Ashok Choudhary on Sunday alleged that attempts were being made to give the incident a caste angle and target Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.
Speaking to reporters here, the minister said the state government had a responsibility to reach out to people and prevent the issue from creating social divisions.
"His encounter was wrong, which I keep repeating. Some people are giving it a casteism angle... Some people are trying to divide society, so as Dalits, we are going there... Some people are deliberately trying to corner Samrat Choudhary. As ministers, it is our responsibility to go there and clarify these things," Ashok Choudhary said.
The remarks come amid continuing protests by the family of 28-year-old Bharat Bhushan Tiwari, who was killed in a police encounter in Bihar's Bhojpur district on June 17.
On Saturday, Tiwari's family demanded the arrest of police personnel allegedly involved in the incident, withdrawal of what they described as false cases registered against villagers, and adequate security for the family.
A family member said Bharat Tiwari's mother, Asha Devi, would continue her indefinite hunger strike until their demands were met.
"Until the arrest of Jagdishpur DSP Rajesh Sharma, Shahpur police station SHO Rajesh Kumar Mallkar, SI Ankit Aryan, and STF jawan Akshay Kumar, my mother, Asha Devi, will continue her indefinite fast," the family member said.
The family also sought immediate security and requested that investigating officials inform them in advance before visiting for the probe. They further demanded that police withdraw cases allegedly registered against villagers following the encounter.
The incident has sparked controversy after a Facebook Live video, recorded shortly before the shooting, appeared to show Tiwari throwing away his pistol toward police personnel. While the family claims he had surrendered and was shot despite being unarmed, Bhojpur Police have maintained that he fired multiple rounds at the police team, prompting retaliatory firing in self-defence.
Following complaints by Tiwari's family, Bihar Police registered an FIR against the Jagdishpur DSP, Shahpur SHO and other police personnel in connection with the alleged wrongful killing. The investigation into the case is underway.