Jitan Ram Manjhi releases ‘report card’ on Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, slams it for communal clashes, rapes

PATNA: Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Tuesday released a ‘report card’ on the completion of the State’s one-year-old NDA government led by Nitish Kumar and attacked it on the rise in communal clashes and crimes against women.

Chief Minister and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar had walked out of the grand alliance and allied afresh with the BJP to form the NDA government on July 27, 2017. Bihar’s NDA government completed one year on July 27, but breaking a long tradition that he had himself set, Kumar did not release a report card of the government on the anniversary.

So the HAM supremo decided to do it for the CM instead and used the opportunity to tear holes into the Bihar government.

“This government has little to show to the world by way of positive change in Bihar, which is why there was no report card from the government. Bihar is known today for the rise in communal clashes and crimes against women and a prohibition regime that has hit the poor and Dalits badly,” said Manjhi.

Citing the shocking incident of sexual exploitation of minor girls living in a government-funded shelter home in Muzaffarpur, he also demanded Nitish Kumar’s immediate resignation on moral grounds.

HAM’s report card, titled “Dangaion ka Bihar hai, Nitish Kumar hai,” lists the many incidents of crimes against women and communal clashes that were reported across the state in the past twelve months.

Manjhi, a prominent Dalit leader who is now part of the RJD-led grand alliance, also attacked LJP chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan. “He (Paswan) had no influence in the central government and he is proving ineffective in the matter of the dilution of the law for Dalits’ rights. Statements by his son and MP Chirag Paswan on LJP’s demand for an ordinance are merely a ploy to bag more seats for the party in NDA,” said Manjhi.

“We will oppose any move to include LJP in the grand alliance,” said Manjhi, thus negating statements issued recently by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav that had made it clear that the RJD would welcome LJP into the alliance if it snaps ties with BJP.

Courtesy: Express News Service