Ara: More than 15,000 people from across the country attended the “shradh” of late Bharat Bhushan Tiwari at Bilauti village under Shahpur police station in Bhojpur district on Tuesday. Supporters waved the tricolour, raised slogans and formed the “Veer Shahid Bharat Tiwari Nyay Sangharsh Morcha” to launch a phased agitation seeking justice for Bharat and his family. Bharat was killed in an alleged police encounter on June 17.Anil Mishra, a Supreme Court lawyer who was appointed president of the newly formed forum, said, “Today it has been decided that on July 17, thousands of people from across the country will gather peacefully at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to pay tributes to Bharat. Later we will meet the President and the Prime Minister and will hand over to him the copies of the signature campaign that has been started in Bihar as well as other neighbouring states. Our agitation will continue till Bharat’s family gets justice in the case and the guilty are punished as per the provisions of the law.”Bharat’s mother, Asha Devi, told mediapersons, “Jo mara Hai wo to khula ghum raha hai (those who have killed my son are roaming free). I have no faith on the government or the police. I have only faith on the society and my country.”A co-villager and convenor of the forum, Pankaj Tripathi, said, “A justice seeking committee comprising 21 lawyers has been formed to launch phase wise agitation in this case. Apart from this 17 more committees have been constituted by the Morcha which will carry forward the demands of Bharat Tiwari to rehabilitate the flood victims of Jawaniya village as well as to realize the dreams of Bharat Tiwari who was seeking a corruption-free society where the officers and politicians must fulfill the promises made by them for the welfare of the society.”Supporters also erected a circle of bricks around the spot where Bharat was shot on June 17 and demanded martyr status for him.A farmers’ functionary from Haryana said, “Even the notorious naxals in Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, when they surrender before the police, are well taken care of by the government and are rehabilitated into the mainstream of the society. Whereas Bharat Tiwari who had surrender before the police, was killed. We want justice in this case.”
