Handwritten posters in Hindi in red ink pasted somewhere in the heavily Maoist infested areas, are seen as a potential threat. A similar poster in the red zone of Imamganj in Gaya District has come up and the target is former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. The red extremists have asked the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) to severe ties with the BJP-led NDA. The posters read that the Sangh Parivar was highly anti-Dalit and accused Manjhi of developing a feudal mindset and ignoring the interest of his own society. Two days after the posters appeared in his Assembly constituency Imamganj, the HAM founder refused to believe that posters against him were the handiwork of the Maoists. Supporting the extremists, Manjhi said, "Some petty criminals are trying to defame Naxalites."
The public representatives elected from Imamganj are usually known for their pro-Naxal stand. Manjhi's predecessor Uday Narayan Chaudhary, who served as Speaker of Bihar Assembly for two consecutive terms, was being accused of having soft corner for them. So much so that his role was suspected in the murder of former Gaya MP Rajesh Kumar by the Maoists in Imamganj. Chaudhary was defeated by Manjhi in last Assembly polls.
Defending the ultra leftists, Manjhi said, "The poor and hapless people of the oppressed class whose womenfolk are assaulted and humiliated and they get no state support take up guns and become rebels. They are branded as Naxalites. If they are Naxalites I am a bigger Naxalite for I have also undergone similar circumstances." Manjhi said though he was against violence and bloodshed but if the rebels use force to protect poor people and fight for their rights there was nothing wrong in it.
During his short tenure as Chief Minister in the second half of 2014, Manjhi sometimes gave controversial statements hailing Naxalites, which was seen as his political compulsion. He said when he was a minister in 1984, he faced charges of being Naxal sympathizer.
Post appearance of posters asking Manjhi to have a relook at his alliance with the BJP, the former CM disbelieved that it were issued by the Maoists ignoring the fact that recently his convoy had been attacked. In May last the pilot jeep was torched and Manjhi was forced to take shelter in a CRPF camp.
Gaya police have taken the posters seriously and SSP Garima Malik said an alert has been sounded and Manjhi’s security would be looked into.