Undeclared emergency in Bihar during Nitish rule: RJD

Patna: Opposition RJD charged Nitish Kumar government on Saturday with having imposed 'undeclared emergency' in Bihar to suppress spontaneous protest by the people during his ongoing 'Adhikar Yatra'.

"An undeclared emergency-like situation prevails in Bihar at the moment, particularly in those districts being visited by the chief minister to address public meeting to mobilise support to the special status demand for Bihar," RJD leaders Abdul Bari Siddique, state unit president Ramchandra Purve and Ramkripal Yadav told reporters.

The opposition leaders in districts have been taken into preventive custody, including 926 from RJD, while shops and market places were closed. People going to public meetings being frisked by the cops in the districts where Kumar has visited to address public meetings, they said adding the situation reminded one of the emergency days.

"A so-called democrat leader like the chief minister has been forced to impose an undeclared emergency to ensure success of his Adhikar yatra," the RJD leaders said and demanded Kumar's resignation.

The RJD leaders slammed Kumar for sniffing conspiracy by opposition parties to sabotage his political programmes by orchestrating public protest against him.

The agitations were spontaneous outbursts by the general people who felt cheated by the NDA government, which had made false promises to them, the RJD leaders claimed.

They said RJD had drawn 'solace' from Kumar's 'conspiracy theory' as he had in a way conceded that the party still enjoyed mass support despite being out of power for the past seven years.

They also criticised Kumar for defending the conduct of local JD(U) leaer Ranveer Yadav in Khagaria district where he was seen snatching an automatic rifle from a policeman's hand and firing in the air to disperse the protesters.

"If Kumar has so much faith in his lumpen worker then he should be made the director general of police of Bihar," they said adding the chief minister had 'lost his mind and wisdom after being addicted to power'.

The RJD leaders asked Kumar to see 'the writing on the wall' against his NDA government and respect the public anger and democratic right of the people to vent their ire at the government's non-performance.