In a dramatic and chaotic turn of events, Bihar’s Rural Development Minister Shrawan Kumar and JD(U) MLA Krishna Murari Sharan were chased for nearly a kilometre by enraged villagers in Nalanda’s Jogipur Malawan village. The incident unfolded during the leaders’ condolence visit to families grieving the loss of nine people in a recent road accident.

The tragic crash occurred last Saturday, claiming the lives of nine individuals eight of whom were women, when an auto-rickshaw ferrying them to the Ganga for a ritual bath collided head-on with a high-speed truck.

Upon arriving at the village on Wednesday morning, Minister Kumar and the local MLA were confronted by a large, agitated crowd. The villagers accused the politicians of showing up too late and failing to offer any compensation to the bereaved families. They alleged a complete lack of sensitivity and urgency on the government’s part.

As per reports, tensions escalated after the minister suggested that discussions around compensation would be held “later.” This remark further inflamed the villagers, prompting several of them to arm themselves with bamboo sticks and stones before charging toward the ministerial convoy.

Witnesses captured shocking scenes where Minister Kumar was seen running from the spot, clutching his dhoti, as his security personnel struggled to keep the crowd at bay. The minister reportedly had to switch vehicles three times to evade the mob, while one of his bodyguards sustained injuries during the melee and was taken to Hilsa Sub-Divisional Hospital for treatment.

“After nine people died in a road accident in Nalanda, I went to meet the families of the victims this morning. I had also taken officials along to ensure that everyone gets financial help on time,” Shrawan Kumar told Aaj Tak. He further stated, “Some people wanted the matter to escalate and there should be a dispute. But I left from there peacefully.”

Videos of the incident quickly went viral, showing the crowd chasing the leaders through the narrow village lanes. The police were eventually called to disperse the gathering and are now investigating the incident while tightening security in the region.

JD(U) spokesperson Dhananjay Dev admitted that public resentment was visible. “The locals were angry with the working style of the politician,” he said.

Political strategist Prashant Kishor also reacted strongly to the episode, criticising Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s administration, “Nitish Kumar’s government beat up students, anganwadi and Asha workers, sarpanchs in Patna. Now it is the turn of the public. When they go to ask for votes, the public will chase them away.”

This latest confrontation comes shortly after a similar outburst in Patna, where BJP leader and Health Minister Mangal Pandey’s car was attacked by another angry group.