Satyendra Nath Tiwari, a senior figure in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Garhwa constituency, has blamed administrative failings for a recent shooting in Rezo village, Meral Block.
Tiwari asserted that the Garhwa administration has been issuing firearm licences without due diligence, allegedly due to political influence, to people with criminal inclinations. He believes this directly caused the incident, which took place on Friday night.
According to Tiwari, during a Tilak ceremony at the home of journalist Ramashankar Choubey in Rezo village, individuals with criminal and feudalistic tendencies discharged licensed firearms, injuring several people at the location.
The Garhwa MLA stated that he had previously cautioned the administration that the increased availability of firearm licences would result in a rise in crime in Garhwa, a forecast he now claims has come to pass. He criticised the administration's negligence, maintaining that the general public are bearing the brunt of the consequences, resulting in a climate of fear. He promised to bring up the matter in the next Legislative Assembly session.
Tiwari also voiced his concern that the injured villagers are reportedly receiving treatment in a secret location, and that efforts are underway to cover up the incident. He urged the administration to immediately file a First Information Report (FIR) and take decisive action against those responsible. He also demanded that details regarding the treatment of the injured be released to the public. He warned that if this is not done, the BJP will be forced to launch a protest.
