RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said “there is no value of human life in Bihar”
| Photo Credit: PTI
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav’s statement over law and order has sparked a row in Bihar. Listing recent incidents of murder, Mr. Yadav targeted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and alleged that people from the Yadav community are being killed.
“The State government has failed to maintain law and order. People of the Yadav community are being killed. This is not only in one place, but across Bihar crime has increased manifold. The government has done nothing (to stop this),” Mr. Yadav said in Patna on Friday.
In post-poll violence in Saran on May 21, Chandan Yadav, 25, was shot dead. Two days ago, a man and his son — Ram Ayodhya Prasad Yadav (75) and Sunil Yadav (27) — were gunned down by criminals on their way to a court in Saran.
In a post on X, Mr. Yadav listed out recent incidents of crime and wrote, “A few hours of horrifying glimpses of the artificial mangal raj of the double engine government in Bihar. There is no value for human life in Bihar. Government criminals are shooting anyone, whenever and wherever they want. The government, including the Chief Minister, has done nothing… criminals are being protected by the government.”
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back at the RJD saying there is rule of law in Bihar now unlike the ‘jungle raj’ during the RJD regime. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said the government is taking all possible action against criminals.
“The RJD is the party which used to shelter criminals. The BJP is anti-criminal and whoever is responsible (for the recent crimes) will not be spared,” Mr. Choudhary said. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said the BJP “has finished jungle raj in Bihar”.
BJP ally Lok Janshakti Party’s (Ram Vilas) MP from Khagaria Rajesh Verma slammed Mr. Yadav and said crime should not be seen from the prism of caste. “One can raise the question on the police and administration if the criminals roam freely after doing any crime but in Bihar criminals are arrested within 24 hours. Criminals do not have any religion and caste. Any criminal incident should not be seen with any particular caste in mind,“ Mr. Verma said.
Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) leader and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi lashed out at Mr. Yadav and said the RJD “has no right to speak anything on law and order as everyone knows the condition of law and order during RJD’s regime”. Janata Dal (United) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Jha said criminal incidents can take place anywhere and criminals are not given political protection in Bihar.
