Some ripples have been created in the NDA in Bihar where a sulking partner Jitan Ram Manjhi sat on dharna against the policies of the Nitish Kumar-led Government and leaders of former CM’s party Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) (HAM) even threatened to part ways if the issues raised by the party were not heard.
Manjhi, though softened his stand which he had taken a day earlier and said on Thursday that he would continue in the NDA but the HAM Bihar president Brishen Patel was furious. He said, “Don’t take us for granted. We are in NDA but not the bonded labour of any alliance. If ignored and compelled we can take a different course of action.” Manjhi added, “We are in NDA but will not remain silent on the issues related to poor and depressed sections of the society.”
The former CM, who had been installed on the highest post by Nitish Kumar in mid 2013 and then removed in early 2014, is quite angry these days. First, his party was not considered when Nitish formed the Government in alliance with the BJP led NDA. But his party has only one legislator and that’s Manjhi himself and he was not ready to be downgraded as a Minister after serving as CM for nine months. Manjhi was under impression that he might be inducted in the Union Cabinet by PM Narendra Modi but it did not materialise. Then he believed that he could be made a Governor but even this wish remained unfulfilled. Adding salt to his wounds, the Union Home Ministry withdrew his Z category security early this month.
A piqued Manjhi offered dharna on Wednesday here on various issues and attacked Nitish Government. He was particularly anguished over the liquor prohibition policy and said it was a total farce. “Only poor people are being punished on charge of consuming liquor. Out of 71,000 people arrested 60,000 are poor people and. But the Government has turned its eyes from its top bureaucrats and commissioner level officer who are habitual boozers,” said an irritated Manjhi who had been critical of prohibition policy from the very beginning as he said that liquor was being used for religious purpose by different dalit castes.
Manjhi however, claimed that his dharna was not aimed against either Centre or Bihar Government but it was his duty to highlight the issues concerning the Dalits and poor. “I wanted to bring certain issues in public domain so sat on dharna.