PATNA: BJP on Wednesday questioned Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor over a viral video purportedly showing an alleged assault on the party’s state president, Manoj Bharti, and demanded accountability over claims of Rs 70 lakh in outstanding dues to a vendor.BJP spokesman Prem Ranjan Patel said the incident raised serious questions about the functioning of the Jan Suraaj organisation, particularly in view of Kishor’s repeated promises of transparency, accountability and political reform in Bihar.He alleged that the humiliation of a Dalit leader heading the party exposed contradictions between Kishor’s public commitments and his organisation’s functioning.Patel demanded that Kishor explain the alleged outstanding dues and clarify why the matter was allowed to escalate into a confrontation.The controversy erupted after a video, reportedly filmed outside the Jan Suraaj office in Patna, circulated on social media on Wednesday.In the footage, Bharti is seen sitting in the back seat of a car as a man wearing a white kurta and cap approaches the vehicle, grabs him by the collar and allegedly attempts to assault him.Bharti has reportedly described the incident as an old one and said a complaint had already been lodged with Patna Police.Jan Suraaj founder and Bankipur MLA Prashant Kishor is likely to clarify this issue on Thursday, a party functionary said.However, Patel said, “If a dispute over pending payments escalated to the extent that the aggrieved party resorted to such an action, an impartial investigation must be conducted and those responsible must be held accountable. Bihar does not need grand speeches; it needs transparency, timely payments and responsible conduct.”The allegations regarding the Rs70 lakh in outstanding dues and the circumstances leading to the alleged confrontation have yet to be independently established.
