Bihar: Chirag Paswan slams Nitish Kumar over rising crime

Patna, July 12 (IANS) Amid rising incidents of murders and attacks on businessmen in Bihar, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan has questioned the Nitish Kumar government, intensifying discomfort within the ruling NDA alliance.

In a pointed post on social media, Chirag Paswan wrote: “How many more murders will Biharis face now? It is beyond understanding what the responsibility of the Bihar Police is.”

Chirag’s remarks come amid a wave of criminal incidents in Patna, including the recent killing of prominent businessman Gopal Khemka, followed by the murder of grocery trader Vikram Jha and the murder of sand trader Ramakant Yadav, creating fear among the business community.

While opposition leaders, including Tejashwi Yadav and Congress leaders, have been consistently attacking the Nitish government over the deteriorating law and order, the remarks by Chirag Paswan, an NDA ally, signal unease within the ruling coalition.

Before Chirag, LJP (RV) Khagaria MP Rajesh Verma had publicly stated that law and order in Bihar has collapsed under the current administration, leading to a sharp counter from JDU leader and Bihar minister Maheshwar Hazari, who asked Chirag to clarify whether he wants to remain in the alliance or not.

Notably, Chirag’s brother-in-law and Jamui MP Arun Bharti had also recently criticised the rising crime in Bihar, stating that “you cannot become Dhritarashtra for the nation” while ignoring ground realities.

Chirag’s direct questioning of the government further adds to the speculation within political circles about strained ties within the NDA ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.

The repeated public criticism from LJP (Ram Vilas) leaders has raised questions about coordination and unity within the NDA, even as Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha continues to maintain that the Nitish government is committed to controlling crime in the state.

Bihar has witnessed a spate of high-profile attacks and murders, triggering fear among businessmen and residents alike, while providing ammunition to the opposition and even NDA allies to question the governance and policing under Nitish Kumar’s leadership.

--IANS

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