New Delhi [India], July 8 : Congress leader Pramod Tiwari hit out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar questioning his government's ability to maintain law and order in Bihar, citing recent incidents of violence, including 9 murders in 24 hours, with 5 people burned to death in Purnia.
He condemned the statement of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, calling Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav the "Gabbar of Bihar" and accusing him of creating an atmosphere of fear during his rule.
Pramod Tiwari said, "I condemn these statements. Moreover, 9 murders have occurred in Bihar in 24 hours out of which 5 were burned to death (in Purnia). Is Bihar inside India or not? Will the law of the country apply here? If there is Jungle Raaj anywhere then it is Bihar where maximum murders are taking place. Is Nitish Kumar in an unconscious state, or is he under the pressure of BJP? He is not the Nitish we knew. BJP and Nitish government has not right to stay in power, they have implemented the 'Rule of Jungle'"
Three main accused, including a minor, have been arrested after five members of a family were allegedly burnt alive on July 6 in Titgaon village of Bihar's Purnia district, in a suspected case of witchcraft-related violence.
Purnia District Magistrate Anshul Kumar visited the village following the incident.
He told ANI, "This incident happened on 6th July. At night, five people were beaten up and burned alive. Yesterday, the police and administration recovered all the bodies. The post-mortem has been done, and the last rites have been performed. A case has been registered against around 23 named accused. An FIR has also been registered against 150-200 unidentified people. The police have caught the main accused... In regard to this case, 3 people have been caught, of whom one is a minor."
Reacting to a political row triggered by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's sharp response to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's statement, Pramod Tiwari accused the BJP of using the language of Hooliganism.
He further said, "Is this the language of a Parliamentarian or BJP causes to talk like this? Will they say 'Tumko patak patak ke maarenge'. I accuse the BJP of using the language of Hooliganism."
Earlier Addressing Raj Thackeray's controversial instruction to his party workers, "beat but don't make a video," Dubey lashed out, saying, "What are you doing, whose bread are you eating? You people are surviving on our money. What kind of industries do you have? We have all the mines in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. What mines do you have? All semiconductor refineries are in Gujarat."
He went on to challenge those targeting Hindi-speaking individuals and said, "If you dare to beat Hindi speakers, then beat those who speak Urdu, Tamil, and Telugu too. If you're such a 'boss', come out of Maharashtra--come to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu. 'Tumko patak patak ke maarenge'..."