Nitish ‘shielding’ JD-U MLA accused of murder: Tejashwi

The RJD leader and the leader of Opposition in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, has summoned all his party MLAs and MLCs to Patna and they would be marching to Gopalganj to protest against the alleged shielding of Janata Dal-United (JD-U) MLA Amarendra Pandey who is accused in a triple murder that took place in Gopalganj on Sunday. Tejashwi Yadav had earlier given a two-day ultimatum to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, demanding the arrest of the accused MLA failing which he had threatened an agitation from Patna to Gopalganj.

With the arrest of Amrender Pandey nowhere in sight, the RJD has raked it up as a major political issue accusing the CM of protecting an alleged murderer as he happens to be from the ruling party. Tejashwi Yadav indicated that since the government is not acting on the demand of the Opposition, he is left with no choice but to launch an agitation in which all RJD leaders and MLAs would be participating. On Wednesday Tejashwi Yadav had also met the Bihar Governor and demanded a CBI probe into the matter. Speaking to The Daily Guardian, senior RJD leader Bhai Birendra said, “These are jungle rules.

JD-U MLA is getting protection directly from Nitish Kumar who is also the home minister of the state. Amarendra has dozens of heinous cases against him, but the police dare not touch him. We will step up our agitation.” On Sunday an attack was carried out at the residence of RJD leader J.P. Yadav, allegedly at the behest of Amrinder Pandey in Gopalganj.

The brother the RJD leader, his father and mother succumbed to the bullet injuries, while J.P. Yadav was injured and admitted at a hospital. An FIR was registered in the Hathuwa police station in which Amarendra Pandey, his brother Satish Pandey, and three other persons were accused of committing the crime. The police on Monday arrested Satish and Mukesh Pandey, and are maintaining that the investigations are on and if the evidence is found against the accused MLA, he would be arrested too.

While the RJD has raked up the killings as a political murder, the JD-U is maintaining that the police are probing the matter with all seriousness. Speaking to The Daily Guardian, Information and Public Relations Department minister Neeraj Kumar said, “The RJD is indulging in the criminalisation of politics. They have made it into a political agenda.

They should not forget the 15 years of their rule. Nitish Kumar spares no culprit and they should know that Ballabh Yadav and Shahabuddin too were put behind bars. The RJD is trying to spread social hatred. The police are doing their job.”