In Bihar’s Nawada district, several homes of Mahadalit families were burned to the ground. The incident occurred in the Manjhi Tola settlement on Wednesday, reportedly over a land dispute. Shot were also fired as homes were destroyed, no injuries were reported, police said.
While the police said that 21 houses were set on fire, Congress leaders placed the number to be at least 80.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered ADG Law and Order (Bihar) to visit Nawada to investigate.
Ten suspects have been detained, and efforts to arrest others are on.
“A call was received around 7.30 pm that some houses were set on fire in Manjhi Tola. Police immediately reached the spot along with fire engines. It took some time to douse the blaze. According to villagers, a group of people started setting the houses on fire around 7 pm,” Nawada Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhinav Dhiman said.
Dhiman added, “Preliminary investigation suggests that land dispute is the reason for the incident. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway.”
The SP assured the public that the situation is now under control, with a large police contingent stationed to prevent any further unrest.
The Congress condemned the event, calling it yet another instance of the “jungle raj” under the NDA government in Bihar.
In a post on X, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, “The terror of goons on Mahadalit Tola in Bihar’s Nawada is another proof of the jungle raj of NDA’s double-engine government.”
He added, “It is highly condemnable that about 100 Dalit houses were set on fire, firing was done, and everything of poor families was snatched in the darkness of the night.”
Kharge pointed to the “utter indifference” of the BJP and its allies towards Dalits and the deprived, alleging that their “criminal neglect” has emboldened anti-social elements. He claimed, “Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi is silent as usual, Nitish (Kumar) ji is carefree in the greed for power, and NDA’s allies have become silent.”
Rahul Gandhi said that burning down an entire settlement of Mahadalits and destroying the homes of more than 80 families reveals a horrifying picture of injustice against marginalised communities in Bihar.
“The cries of these Dalit families, who have lost their homes and property, and the terrifying echoes of gunfire have not been enough to wake Bihar’s dormant government, despite the terror that has gripped the deprived sections of society,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi accused the BJP and NDA leadership of providing “refuge to such lawless elements,” asserting that these groups “intimidate and suppress the Bahujans of India, preventing them from even demanding their social and constitutional rights.”
He said, “The Prime Minister’s silence on this massive conspiracy acts as a stamp of approval. The Bihar government and state police should take swift and strict action against all culprits of this shameful crime and ensure the rehabilitation of the affected families to deliver them full justice.”
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the incident “extremely horrific and condemnable,” adding that, “Firing dozens of rounds and creating terror on such a large scale, rendering people homeless, shows that the law and order situation in the state has completely collapsed.”
“The common rural-poor are forced to live in the shadow of insecurity and fear,” she said.
Demanding immediate action against the bullies who commit such injustice, she said that all the victims should be properly rehabilitated.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President Mayawati also demanded strict action by the Bihar government, besides financial support for rehabilitation of the poor victims.
She wrote on X, “The incident of burning down many houses of poor Dalits in Bihar’s Nawada by the goons and ruining their lives is extremely sad and serious.”
