A controversy broke out over the “death” of a Bihar BJP leader during the party’s march towards the assembly here on Thursday.

The saffron party alleged that its Jehanabad district general secretary succumbed to injuries suffered in a "brutal" lathi charge by the police, prompting the local administration to issue a quick rebuttal.

In a statement, the Patna district administration said Vijay Kumar Singh, a resident of Jehanabad district, was "found unconscious by the roadside".

"No injury marks have been found," said the statement adding that Singh has been taken to PMCH, the state's largest government hospital.

Nonetheless, rumours were aflutter that Singh, who had come here to join the "Vidhan Sabha march" against the Nitish Kumar government's teacher recruitment policy, had died.

"Arrested by Bihar police in Patna, Jehanabad dist GS Vijay Kumar Singh died in brutal police lathi charge", senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi tweeted.

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