Date:10/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/10/stories/2008021050040900.htm

National

Two arrested for attack on Nitish Kumar

K. Balchand

PATNA: The Nalanda police on Saturday arrested two persons in connection with the attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Pilkhi village. The incident occurred on Friday while he was inspecting the site for the proposed Nalanda International University with the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

The police lodged a named FIR against 16 farmers and arrested two of them. The FIR was lodged after Mr. Kumar claimed that one of the stones thrown at him hit him.

The farmers had been protesting against the meagre compensation package announced for them and the refusal by officials to hand over the promised money.

The locals were also against the establishment of the university on a fertile stretch of land, denying them their livelihood.

They regarded it as a “luxury” which would benefit only the “big people and not us.”

The State government has so far acquired 450 acres and the farmers are opposing a move to take over 500 more acres stressing that a project beneficial to them would have been more acceptable.