New Delhi: Countering the NDA’s ‘jungle raj’ charge, the Congress on Sunday sought to corner Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on paper leaks, “displacement” of families in search of employment and alleged rise in heinous crimes in Bihar.
Attacking the ruling alliance, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, cited criminal incidents and asked the prime minister whether this is the “so-called Mangal Raj” of his “trouble engine government”.
The NDA has been warning voters in Bihar that a return of Magathbandhan to power in Bihar will bring back the era of “jungle raj” under the RJD rule, where, it alleged, criminals “acted with impunity”.
In a post in Hindi on X, Ramesh said that on the same streets of Patna where young people were lathi-charged almost every month for demanding jobs and fair recruitment exams, the prime minister and chief minister are holding roadshows for votes.
“That’s why today we want to ask them three direct questions. Under your patronage, dozens of paper leaks and recruitment-entrance exam scams occurred in Bihar, ruining the futures of millions of youth,” Ramesh said.
And when that wasn’t enough, a business of selling fake degrees also flourished, he alleged.
“Why was the hard work and future of millions of Bihar’s youth compromised?” the Congress leader asked. “According to a caste-based survey conducted in Bihar, 64 per cent of the population, or approximately 90 million people, still survive on just 67 rupees a day. Why is Bihar in such a dire state after 20 years of your government?” Ramesh said.
The Congress leader took a swipe at the “double-engine government” pitch of the BJP-led NDA, which suggests that having its government in both the Centre and the state ensures rapid development.
Due to the policies of the “Trouble Engine” government, 3.18 crore people were “forced to leave” the state in search of employment, Ramesh said and asked the prime minister and the chief minister whether they would take responsibility for the displacement of these families.