Patna (Bihar) [India], July 14 : Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday alleged that the Bihar government is unable to control law and order, with criminals becoming more brazen and citizens feeling unsafe.
Addressing reporters in Patna, he questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the issue, asking if he will ever express concern or just deliver speeches.
Tejashwi Yadav urged PM Modi to "leave his teleprompter and speak his mind" about the situation in Bihar, suggesting that the Prime Minister is more focused on scripted speeches than addressing the state's real issues.
Tejashwi Yadav described Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as being in an "unconscious state" and unable to handle Bihar's administration, with the Prime Minister allegedly controlling the state remotely.
He accused the Chief Minister of failing to take action against criminals, allowing them to thrive in the state, claiming that the government is protecting criminals, emboldening them to commit crimes, and that the situation in Bihar is "terrifying"..
"Narendra Modi should leave his teleprompter and speak his mind. The situation in Bihar is terrifying... Why is PM Narendra Modi silent? Will he ever express his concern and grief, or just give speeches?... If he gets votes from here, is it his responsibility to provide security here or not? The Chief Minister is in an unconscious state. He is not able to handle Bihar. The Prime Minister is handling it through a remote control. Criminals have become 'samratth' in Bihar, they have won," said the RJD leader.
He pointed out that in the past six months, nine prominent businessmen have been murdered in Bihar, highlighting the state's failure to maintain law and order.
Gopal Khemka, a businessman and a BJP leader from Bihar, was shot dead outside his home in Patna earlier this month.He had previously requested police protection for his family.
Days after Khemka was shot dead, another man was killed in Patna's Ram Krishna Nagar area after being shot by an unidentified assailant. The victim, Vikram Jha, succumbed to his injuries while being taken to the hospital.
According to police, Jha was shot by a person who arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire. A murder case has been registered, and an investigation is underway. Jha, originally from Darbhanga district, had been living in Patna for a year and ran a grocery store. He lived with his family on the first floor of the same building.
Tejashwi Yadav demands that the government take concrete steps to restore law and order in Bihar and ensure citizens' safety.
The reaction comes ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections which are expected to be held later this year in October or November; however, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced an official date.
While the NDA, consisting of the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, will once again be looking to continue their stint in Bihar, the INDIA bloc, consisting of the RJD, Congress, and left parties, will be looking to unseat Nitish Kumar.
In the current Bihar Assembly of 243 members, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) consists of 131 with the BJP having 80 MLAs, JD(U)-45, HAM(S)-4, with the support of 2 Independent Candidates.
The Opposition's INDIA Bloc has a strength of 111 members with RJD leading with 77 MLAs, Congress-19, CPI(ML)-11, CPI(M)-2 and CPI-2.