Patna, Sep 22 (PTI) Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Tuesday condemned the sexual harassment of a girl and a boy in Jamui district of Bihar, terming the incident “horrific” and “scary”.
The Bankipur MLA also asserted that the episode raised question marks over the BJP-led NDA’s claim of having brought to an end the “jungle raj” that allegedly characterised the RJD’s rule in the state.
“Veebhats (horrific) and scary (bhayawah) are the two words that the Jamui incident brings to mind. The BJP-led government stands exposed. There seems to be no fear of law,” alleged Kishor.
“The BJP and its allies have been enjoying power for 20 years just because they have been able to evoke fear in the minds of the people that if they do not win elections in Bihar, the ‘jungle raj’ (lawlessness) will be back. But the BJP has ended up making Samrat Choudhary the CM, though he had cut his political teeth in the RJD. No wonder, lawlessness has been on the rise ever since he came to occupy the seat of power,” he claimed.
Kishor also criticised NDA leaders who have sought to downplay the incident as “chhit put” (stray) and pointed out instances like the death of a NEET aspirant after suspected sexual assault a few months ago and molestation of a girl in front of his father at a Patna hotel.
The Jan Suraaj Party also seemed unimpressed with police action in the Jamui incident, terming the encounter that left two key accused injured as “illegal”.
“Rule of law does not mean ‘encounter raj’. I have protested against all the high-profile encounter killings that took place recently in places like Patna, Bhojpur and Madhubani,” he said.
Kishor also voiced apprehensions that since three of those held in the Jamui case were said to be minors, “they may go scot-free like Samrat Choudhary, who was named in a murder case of the 1990s, but earned a reprieve by submitting a fake age certificate before the court”.
The former poll strategist also took a dig at RJD working president Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, for targeting the government over poor law and order.
“When Yadav complains about crime, he sounds like a tiger expounding the virtues of going vegetarian. In Bihar, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah harp on the notorious ‘jungle raj’ era to seek votes,” said Kishor.
“It is high time that the people of Bihar realised that they need to vote for those willing to work for making the future of their children better. Modi and Shah evidently care little for Bihar. The recent floods seem to have gone unnoticed by them, though they would have swung into action had the calamity hit their home state of Gujarat,” he added.
Kisore claimed the education sector has suffered the most in Bihar on account of the government’s apathy.
“We appeal to the people to help Jan Suraaj Party in its fight for a better education system in the state by electing our candidates in the upcoming elections to graduates and teachers constituencies of the legislative council. We have named our candidates for five out of the eight seats. The remaining ones will be declared in a couple of days,” he added.
(PTI News)
