Teachers throw slippers at Nitish

Contractual teachers threw slippers at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during a public meeting in Bihar's Madhepura district Friday, police said.

"Some of them threw four or five slippers at the stage where the chief minister was sitting to express their anger," a police official said.

The teachers (known as para-teachers) were protesting against Nitish Kumar for the non-fulfilment of their demands. Earlier in the day, 23 contractual protesting teachers were arrested from the venue ahead of the meeting, police said.

The police first tried to disperse the teachers, numbering in their hundreds, but when they failed, some of them were arrested, an official said.

Meanwhile, the opposition demanded the arrest of a former Janata Dal (United) legislator for allegedly snatching a police official's rifle and firing in the air to disperse the teachers  during a similar protest against Nitish Kumar in Khagaria Thursday.

Leaders from various parties, including the Congress and CPI-ML, accused the police of inaction after TV channels showed Ranvir Yadav, a strongman of the area and husband of JD-U legislator Poonam Devi, firing in the air.

"We have demanded the arrest of Yadav for spreading terror among the para-teachers," leader of opposition in the Bihar assembly Abdul Bari Siddiqui said.

However, JD (U) spokesman Shivnand Tiwari defended Yadav, saying there was a threat to the chief minister's life.