Countering the NDA’s ‘jungle raj’ charge in poll-bound Bihar, the Congress on Sunday sought to corner Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on paper leaks, “displacement” of families in search of employment and alleged rise in heinous crimes in the state.
Attacking the ruling alliance, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, cited criminal incidents and asked the prime minister whether this is the “so-called Mangal Raj” of his “trouble engine government”.
The NDA has been warning voters in Bihar that a return of Magathbandhan to power in Bihar will bring back the era of “jungle raj” under the RJD rule, where, it alleged, criminals “acted with impunity”.
In a social media post in Hindi, Ramesh said that on the same streets of Patna where young people were lathi-charged almost every month for demanding jobs and fair recruitment exams, the prime minister and chief minister are holding roadshows for votes.
And when that wasn’t enough, a business of selling fake degrees also flourished, he alleged.
The Congress leader took a swipe at the “double-engine government” pitch of the BJP-led NDA, which suggests that having its government in both the Centre and the state ensures rapid development.
Due to the policies of the “Trouble Engine” government, 3.18 crore people were “forced to leave” the state in search of employment, Ramesh said and asked the prime minister and the chief minister whether they would take responsibility for the displacement of these families.
“The CAG has uncovered a scam worth Rs 70,000 crore in 10 departments in Bihar, he alleged, adding, “Will these scams, like in Maharashtra, now be considered a sign of ‘achche din’? Please comment on this.”
“When you look at the headlines of your roadshow in Bihar, please also pay attention to the headlines of heinous crimes that have occurred in Bihar over the past week,” Ramesh said. Eight major murders and shootings took place in just seven days, he said.
The Bihar polls will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, and results will be announced on November 14. The opposition INDIA bloc, which has the RJD, Congress and the Left parties as the main constituents, has declared RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav its chief ministerial candidate for the Bihar polls.
When you look at the headlines of your roadshow in Bihar, please also pay attention to the headlines of heinous crimes that have occurred in Bihar over the past week
—Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge communications