Spectre of pre-2000 caste strife looms in Bihar, claims Thakur

Senior BJP leader C P Thakur today said a spectre of caste strife loomed in Bihar if the state government failed to take corrective measures to prevent last week's Maoist attack in Jehanabad district in which seven people were killed.
"My views should be taken as a plain speak or warning whichever way the state government wants to view it," he told reporters, replying to a question at a press conference.
Thakur, who visited Pisai village in Jehanabad district to console the families of the victims of a landmine blast by Maoists on Thursday last, said the obscure village and adjoining areas were targeted by the ultras in 1990s as well, but successive state governments have failed to take lessons to prevent such incidents.

Measures like quality roads, intelligence network and development have simply not come up in the remote areas of Jehanabad district leaving the rural people a soft target to the Maoists' menace, the BJP leader said.
Lashing out at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for not visiting Pisai village to sympathise with the grieving families, Thakur said the indifferent attitude of the JD(U) government may prompt the rural people to deal with the Maoist insurgency in their own way as was the case in 1990s.
He demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh, government jobs to one member of each of the seven victims, CBI probe, visit by a central team, construction of roads and setting up a permanent police station in the village, besides implementation of central and state government schemes for development of Naxal-affected areas.