Am colour blind, black flags look saffron to me: Kanhaiya Kumar

Patna: JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was on Sunday shown black flags by two youths at an event here after which they were roughed up by his supporters even as he sought to target saffron groups for the incident.

The two youths, who belonged to a little-known outfit 'Youth Swaraj', were later detained by the police for questioning.

Raising 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' slogan, they showed black flags to the JNUSU president while he was speaking at a function 'Azadi' organised by AISF and AIYF at S K Memorial hall here.

"I am colour blind. When they show black flags they look saffron to me," Kanhaiya said, adding, "they are not liking my words because this is a part of an attempt to blur the line between 'Desh bhakti' and 'Modi bhakti'," an unfazed Kanhaiya said.

The JNUSU president, who was addressing the gathering when the incident occurred, said he was not scared of such elements who oppose him or try to disturb his functions.

Read: Mumbai civic body workers have offered to pay my fine: Kanhaiya

"I am not scared of anything whether you hurl a shoe or a stone.... They want to disturb my programmes as they are uncomfortable with my questions," Kanhaiya said.

Kanhaiya's supporters thrashed the two persons in the hall. Later the police took the duo into custody.

"Police have detained two persons in this regard," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told PTI.

The two have been identified as Nitish Kumar, a resident of Sitamarhi district, and Manikant Mani, who belonged to Samastipur district, the police said, adding that the two youths are said to be members of RSS.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar alleged that he became the PM "with the support of capitalists" and cannot solve the problem of unemployment.

The student leader, who hails from Begusarai district of Bihar, is on a two-day tour of the state and met both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad yesterday.