RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has sharply criticised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government over the rising crime rates in Bihar. He listed 143 recent incidents of violence and this move ignited political tensions, prompting Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JDU) to counter Yadav’s claims.
Tejashwi took to social media on Thursday, posting the detailed list, and wrote, “Ram naam satya, sushasan ka tathya, apradhiyon ko arghya (The reality of good governance is the death of people, and tributes to criminals).”
He further said, “I am presenting a few criminal incidents that occurred in Bihar recently, for your attention. Do not say that there is jungle raj in the state, else calamity will come.”
The list Tejashwi posted included over 60 murders, along with multiple attempts to murder, rapes, lootings, and robberies reported across the state earlier this month. The former Bihar deputy chief minister compiled the list using headlines from Hindi newspapers.
By Friday, Tejashwi had escalated his criticism, releasing another list focusing specifically on “major rape incidents” that had occurred in Bihar in recent days. He asked, “What would you call the tragic, shameful, and spine-chilling incidents of rape in the so-called golden era of Modi-Nitish? The people of Bihar know that expecting any action, statement, or measures from an inactive Chief Minister is like deceiving oneself in darkness.”
Responding to the criticism, JDU spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar said, “He is young, and his experience is limited. He is holidaying with family in Dubai. How will he know that people in his Assembly constituency Raghopur are affected by floods? The government of Nitish Kumar is running 13 relief camps there. It has helped over 9,000 people.”
Neeraj went on to accuse Tejashwi of fearmongering while being out of touch with the situation on the ground. “Tejashwi is trying to create fear in Bihar while vacationing abroad. He should also provide the FIR numbers, dates, and names of the concerned police stations while posting such lists. Strict action is taken in each case of crime,” he added.
