Ally BJP criticises Nitish’s good governance claim

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is facing criticism from his alliance partner BJP with multiple party leaders continuing to question the CM’s claim of good governance and improved law and order situation in the state.

On Thursday, Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly and senior BJP leader, Vijay Kumar Sinha launched a vocal attack on Nitish’s claim of good governance, rule of law and prohibition and stated that corruption was rampant in the state. Sinha, who is MLA from Lakhisarai, while visiting his constituency, stated that corrupt police officers, who were on the payroll of sand and liquor mafia, had been given field postings.

According to Sinha, even the district SP had struck a deal with liquor traders and that the SP was fooling the government by nabbing five smugglers and allowing hundreds to go free. He further alleged that there was no rule of law in the state and innocent people were being arrested by the police while giving the example of one BJP worker who was allegedly sent to prison for refusing to pay a bribe of Rs 50,000 as demanded by a local police officer.

He was angry after residents told him that the police had taken no action against the people who had organised a vulgar entertainment programme, but arrested two people who were a part of the audience and ordinary party workers.

“Don’t I know what a police investigation is? If investigation was done properly, criminals would have feared the police but when money is exchanged to let the guilty go free, that is not a proper investigation. Where is the rule of law, when innocents are jailed and criminals given free hand?” the Speaker asked while admonishing the policemen who were summoned by him after locals sought his help.

Similarly, a senior Brahmin face of Bihar, Nitish Mishra, who is vice president of BJP and also a former Cabinet colleague of Nitish Kumar on Friday announced he would launch a dharna (sit-in) at Jhanjharpur, his Assembly constituency on 23 February to protest against the callous attitude of the government machinery.

Mishra, who also posted his intent on Facebook, stated that he had requested the Chief Secretary, Amir Subhani and his predecessor, Tripurari Sharan multiple times to take steps to remove waterlogging in his constituency. “I have met the district magistrate of Madhubani many times, but he has remained indifferent to my request. The Railways completed their part by constructing a subway in 2020, but the local administration and the DM totally ignored my repeated requests,” wrote Mishra, who is the son of Bihar’s three-time Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra.

Last week, state BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal had raised several questions on the Bihar administration and issued public statements on the alleged failure of prohibition and deteriorating law and order. Similarly, former Union Minister and BJP MP, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, has gone on record to claim that the Nitish government had failed in using the Central Government grants, a claim which was also repeated by Jasiwal.