Union home minister Amit Shah has cancelled his public meeting in Sasaram on Sunday following violence between two groups in the Bihar town since Thursday’s Ram Navami celebrations.

The cancellation of the meeting, meant to commemorate the birth anniversary of Emperor Asoka, started a verbal battle with the BJP accusing the state government of conspiring to keep Shah away.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar denied the allegation and said the communal tensions had been engineered and were being probed.

Shah will go ahead withhis rally in Nawada town on Sunday, perform bhoomi pujan (a religious ritual preceding construction) in Patna for a SashastraSeema Bal building, and virtually inaugurate eight outposts along the India-Nepal border and a newly built SSB facility.

Various parts of the state, including Sasaram (Rohtas district), Biharsharif (in Nitish’s native Nalanda district) and areas of Bhagalpur witnessed communal tension and violence following the Ram Navami processions. There have been a few injuries but the police said the situation was normal now.

The newly appointed Bihar BJP president, Samrat Choudhary, said that with assemblies banned in Sasaram under Section 144 CrPC, it had become difficult to hold a meeting by Shah.

He added: “The Union minister of state for home, Nityanand Rai, assessed the situation there and offered to provide central paramilitary forces for Shah’s visit, but the state government did not react to it.

“It is clear that Nitish Kumar is unable to control Bihar. He is not even able to uphold law and order in his hometown Biharsharif. Violence has taken place in several districts, but he is finding ways to keep Shah away from the state. He has indicated this by imposing Section 144 in Sasaram.”

Nitish said the allegation was “incorrect” and that his government had always provided full security to every visiting central minister.

“There could be some other reason for his (Shah) not coming (to Sasaram). It’s up to him to come or not come,” the chief minister added.

He said the violence was the result of a conspiracy.

“What has happened is not natural. Someone has deliberately done something unnatural. Such incidents did not happen here. Everything had gone smoothly over the last several years,” Nitish told reporters.

“We immediately took steps to control the situation in Sasaram and Biharsharif. I have asked officials to probe everything and act against those involved.”

Apart from imposing Section 144 in the affected areas, the district administrations concerned have suspended Internet services.

The police claimed the situation was completely under control in Sasaram and Biharsharif.

“Two FIRs each have been registered in Nalanda and Rohtas districts. The antisocial elements have been identified and 27 and 18 people have been arrested in the two districts, respectively. The Ram Navami processions are over in Sasaram and Biharsharif,” a statement from the Bihar police headquarters said on Saturday.

“Adequate forces and magistrates have been deployed. Senior officers are camping in the affected areas. Social media is being monitored.”

The statement appealed to people to ignore rumours.