B N Singh Pappan
Saharsa : The workers of VHP, BJP, ABVP and members of different social organisations on July 13, 2017, strongly protested posting of a controversial picture of God Mahadev and Goddess Parvati on Facebook by a youth. They caught the youth at Bela and handed him over to Sadar police station (PS), Saharsa. They also blocked traffic at police station and other places and burnt tyres besides staging protest outside the police station.
Sensing trouble, all the shops and business establishments put their shutters down immediately. The glass window of Yaden studio was also damaged by the protesters. An employee of the studio Vikram was injured in the attack. Several others were injured in clashes between rival groups at Chandni Chowk in the t0wn. The mob also protested outside court campus for three hours.
SHO, Sadar police station, Bhai Bharat, reached the spot to pacify a furious mob but failed in his attempt forcing SDO, Saharsa, Saurabh Jorwal, SDPO Subodh Biswas, and other officials to camp at the police station. They spoke to BJP MLA Niraj Kumar Babloo and former BJP legislator Sanjiv Jha to restore peace in Saharsa town but tension continued till 5 pm. Sensing the gravity of the situation, heavy deployment of police has been made in the town. Later on, police registered a case against the said youth on the written complaint of District Public Relation Officer, Saharsa, Bindusar Mandal, and produced him before a Saharsa court, which forwarded him to judicial custody.
SDO Saurabh Jorwal attributed the controversy to a Facebook virus Bigo.TV and said anyone clicking on it will automatically share it. He urged the people not to click on it after which the protest ended .