When Stones Met State: Bihar's Deputy CM Faces Down a Storm on the Highway

It was, by all accounts, supposed to be a straightforward return. Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister, Vijay Sinha, had just wrapped up a public engagement in Jamui, a routine part of his political duties, and his convoy was making its way back. But then, somewhere along the stretch in Lakhisarai district, the journey took a decidedly unexpected — and frankly, rather dramatic — turn. Suddenly, the air was thick with tension; stones, they say, began to fly, striking the vehicles in what quickly escalated into a full-blown ambush.

Now, this wasn't some random act, mind you. The protestors, an agitated crowd, were reportedly mourning the death of a young man, Amresh Kumar. He had, quite tragically, died in police custody under circumstances that remained, for them at least, shrouded in suspicion. The public, or at least this segment of it, was clearly furious, demanding answers, demanding justice for Amresh.

And yet, Deputy CM Sinha, never one to mince words, was unyielding. His response, delivered later with a certain fiery resolve, left little room for misinterpretation. "Those who have attacked the convoy," he declared, his voice ringing with authority, "we will make bulldozers run over their chest." A powerful image, isn't it? A stark warning, perhaps, to anyone who might think of disrupting law and order. He stood firm, too, on the police's version of events concerning Amresh Kumar, suggesting the deceased was, in fact, a known criminal and had ingested poison before his death—a detail, he added, corroborated by a medical examination.

In truth, such incidents often become fodder for political sparring, and this was no exception. Sinha, seizing the moment, didn't shy away from criticising the opposition, accusing them, quite directly, of attempting to politicize a deeply unfortunate event. It’s a familiar dance, really, isn’t it? When public anger spills over, the political landscape invariably shifts, if only for a moment, revealing fault lines and opportunistic narratives.

For once, this wasn't just about an attack; it was about the state’s unwavering stance, about a leader’s forceful message in the face of public dissent. And, you could say, it offered a stark glimpse into the volatile undercurrents that sometimes ripple beneath the surface of everyday governance in Bihar.