The much publicised first visit of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar to his home State Bihar after his arrest on sedition charge landed in controversy when he spoke against total prohibition and was seen escorted by a Patna’s renowned liquor businessman.
Kumar, who called on RJD chief lalu Prasad and later Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday, gave confusing statements on total prohibition in Bihar. First he opposed prohibition on national level saying it went against the freedom of the people and advocated whosoever wanted to drink should be allowed to drink. Then he realised that since Bihar Government is aggressively implementing total prohibition policy, and hastened to add that it was a good decision in the interest of the poor villagers and in order to eliminate many social ills.
The JNUSU president first met lalu and touched his feet then he had over-an-hour-long-on-camera meeting with RJD supremo where Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and some other RJD leaders were also present.
However, the presence of renowned liquor businessman Vinod Jaiswal in that meeting raised many eyebrows. Bihar RJD president Ramchandra Purbe, who was also present during that meeting tried to play down the presence of Jaiswal and said, “lalu ji is a mass leader and many people, who he does not know, come to meet him. There is a difference between meeting the people and supporting them. lalu ji has nothing to do with any liquor baron.”
The video footage of that meeting and the presence of Jaiswal, who has a big wine business in eastern India, was being shown on some TV channels causing concern among the JD(U) circles. The ruling party had been gaga over Kumar’s visit and one of the spokesperson of the party had been present at the airport to receive him where he was given a rousing welcome with VVIP treatment.
A big posse of policemen had been deputed at the airport and road had been cleared when he stepped out in a long carcade Big hoardings and cutouts were installed on the main streets of Patna to welcome Kumar.
The BJP leaders were highly critical of extending VVIP treatment to Kumar and now they ask who foot the bill of such huge expenses. They suspect that the liquor baron must be behind this show. They also said that it has put a question mark on the Nitish Kumar’s prohibition policy. The CM had supported Kumar on his arrest on sedition charges and had said that the JNUSU president had been calling for ‘Azadi’ for freedom of expression and rights to the poor knowing little that Kumar was also seeking ‘Azadi’ (liberty) for the tipplers.
Senior BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav said, “JNUSU president was accompanied by a big liquor trader. There is hardly any doubt who sponsored his visit and who foot the bills.” lJP leader Chirag Paswan was also critical of VVIP treatment to Kumar and his cozying up with liquor trader.
On Sunday Kumar addressed a meeting at S K Memorial Hall where he was shown black flags by some and one youth who raised Bharat Mata ki jai slogan to disrupt Kumar was caught by his supporters and thrashed. There was pandemonium in the hall for some time even as Kumar said it hardly made any difference for him whether shown saffron flag and black flag.