The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday dared ‘bechara Mukhya Mantri’ (helpless Chief Minister) Nitish Kumar to act against the ruling party MLAs allegedly involved in criminal activities to make it clear that “rule of law is prevalent in Bihar.”
“Criminals have been emboldened after the secular alliance government of RJD, JD(U) and Congress came to power in the state. Many MLAs of ruling coalition have been booked for criminal activities but no action has been taken. Nitish Kumar has become a ‘bechara Mukhya Mantri’ in front of such elements,” senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar said.
“People were earlier afraid of RJD due to Lalu Prasad but now JD(U) MLAs have also started showing their muscle power freely,” the Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council said.
Modi’s comments came in the wake of a JD(U) MLA’s husband escaping from a police station as well as an FIR lodged against another JD(U) MLA Safaraz Alam for misbehaving with a couple on Rajdhani Express.
The first incident took place in Purnea where Awdesh Mandal, husband of JD(U) MLA Bima Bharti, escaped from Maranga police station lock up on Sunday night when Bharti and JD(U) MP Santosh Kushwaha were present in the police station. Mandal was arrested for allegedly threatening a murder case witness.
In the other incident, an FIR was lodged on Monday with Patna GRP against Alam, MLA from Jokihaat in Araria district, for allegedly abusing a couple on board Guwahati-Delhi Rajdhani Express on Monday night.
Modi, who started his ‘Janata Darbar’ from on Tuesday to hear complaints of people, dared the CM to act against these ruling party MLAs to back his claim that ‘rule of law is prevailing in Bihar’.
“It’s a litmus test for CM,” the BJP leader said.
Modi, however, differed with ally Hindustani Awam Morcha’s demand for imposition of President’s Rule in Bihar, saying “that phase has not yet come.”