Tag: Nitish Kumar

Shiva, Hanuman of Bind caste, says Bihar minister

Source: hindustantimes.com

Senior BJP leader and cabinet minister in Nitish Kumar government, Braj Kishor Bind, has stirred a fresh row by claiming that Hindu Gods Shiva and Hanuman belonged to Bind caste. Bind is an OBC caste found in south west Bihar.

“When Lord Ram could be a Kshatriya, Krishna a Yadav then how not Lord Shiva and Hanuman could be a Bind,” the Bihar minister for mining, Braj Kishor Bind said while speaking to media during a visit to his home district Kaimur on Wednesday. Traditionally, members of Bind caste are known for their expertise in digging mud and fishing.

Referring to ancient Hindu text Shiv Puarana, Bind said that it was clearly mentioned in Part 2, chapter 36 of the holy book that Lord Shiva belonged to Bind caste. A book on ancient Indian history written by Vidyadhar Mahajan (BD Mahajan) had also referred Lord Shiva belonging to Bind caste, he claimed.

The minster went on to add, “I am a proud descendant of Lord Hanuman and Shiva and my Bind community. It is not the first time I have announced this fact. I revealed this secret on Tuesday in  presence of Bihar Governor, deputy CM and a couple of ministers, besides an august gathering of around 1500 people during felicitation function at Bapu Sabhagar. I can reiterate the same again and again with pride.”    

“According to the Hanuman Chalisa, a text written by famous medieval saint Tulsi Das, Hanuman was the son of Lord Shiva,” the minister claimed referring to the stanza- Shankar Suwan Keshari nandan (son of Shiva and Keshari).

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Aditya Nath during last parliamentary elections had created a similar row by saying that Lord Hanuman was a Dalit and a forest dweller.

The election commission had imposed a ban on his electioneering for three days.

“Now, Hindus and worshippers of Lord Shiva and Hanuman are highly confused on whether to believe Yogi Adityanath, the head of Nath Sampraday and Mahant of Guru Gorakshnath Peeth or the Bihar minister of his own party. It’s time the BJP top leadership takes a call on deciding who is right and who is wrong,” said Pt Bagishwari Prasad Dwivedi, a professor of Sanskrit and an authority on ancient texts.

“I have not seen such reference in Shiv Purana but will again read the book in light of the minister’s claim,” professor Dwivedi said.

Bihar MLA on the run for AK-47, grenades at home surrenders in Delhi court

Source: hindustantimes.com

Anant Singh, the Bihar lawmaker who has been missing ever since the police discovered an AK-47 assault rifle and two hand grenades from his house turned up in a Delhi court on Friday afternoon.

Bihar Police had filed a case against the independent lawmaker under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after a police team seized an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, live cartridges and two hand grenades from his

his ancestral house at Ladma village last Friday.

He has been missing ever since but has put out video messages to accuse the authorities of framing him.

In his last one released Thursday night, the gangster-turned-politician had declared that he would surrender before a court, because he didn’t trust the police. From this morning, the police had laid deployed personnel around the courts in Patna and elsewhere.

Anant Singh showed up 1,000 km away in a south Delhi court.

Anant Singh, popularly known as ’Chhote Sarkar’, has a long criminal record and was recently summoned to the police headquarters in Patna to record his voice sample in connection with an attack on a Mokama-based contractor.

He was earlier known to have shared a close relationship with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar but dumped the JD(U) ahead of the 2015 assembly elections over some differences. He contested the assembly election as an Independent and retained his seat.

His anticipatory bail petition in a case of murder conspiracy was rejected earlier this week and arrest warrant issued against him for recovery of the firearms.

In his video messages, the lawmaker also accused Janata Dal(United) MP from Munger Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh, Bihar minister Neeraj Kumar and Barh’s assistant superintendent of police Lipi Singh of conspiring against him.

Anant Singh alleged the weapons were placed in his house at the behest of the JD(U) MP, against whom his wife Neelam Devi contested in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. “Lalan has been planning to install a weapon on me so that he could get another set of charges framed against me,” he said in the latest video.

A special investigation team set up by the state police to trace him has carried out searches at more than 25 locations in Bihar, Jharkhand and the National Capital Region.

In his earlier video messages, the lawmaker had claimed he wasn’t on the run but just visiting an ailing friend. “I have not visited my paternal house in last 14 years. So there is no question of hiding AK-47 there,” he said.

Police rifles fail during gun salute to former Bihar CM, Nitish Kumar miffed

Source: indiatoday.in

In a major embarrassment to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, none of the 22 guns fired when former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra was accorded a state funeral in his ancestral village Balua Bazar in Supaul on Wednesday.

According to the protocol, the former chief minister was to be given gun salutation by a guard of honour but none of the 22 guns fired during the funeral, which was attended by Nitish and senior ministers of the state government.

What was further shameful is the fact that the policemen tasked to fire the gunshots kept on trying repeatedly in front of the chief minister and other dignitaries, but failed.

It may be mentioned that the state government had decided that Jagannath Mishra would be accorded a state funeral as he was a three time Chief Minister but what transpired at the funeral only exposed the sloppiness of the state police.

RJD legislator Yaduvansh Yadav who was also present at the funeral has claimed that the incident was the insult to the former Bihar Chief Minister and demanded that a inquiry should be initiated in this case.

Jagannath Mishra’s funeral was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister receive Kumar Modi, Health Minister Mangal Pandey and Bihar assembly speaker Vijay Choudhary.

Nitish banks on Prashant Kishore’s Jharkhand groundwork for rich poll harvest

Source: hindustantimes.com

Janata Dal (United) national president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is all set to launch party’s election campaign in poll-bound Jharkhand on August 25. Mega preparations are on in the state’s capital city by the party workers to welcome Kumar, who would be holding a meeting with around 2,000 leaders from across Bihar during his four hours stay on Sunday.

Assembly elections are due in Jharkhand later this year. The state carved out of Bihar in 2000 has remained a traditional BJP stronghold. The opposition led by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), however, has had its brief share of power on more than one occasion with the JMM patriarch Sibu Soren and his son Hemant Soren – currently the party’s executive head – serving as chief ministers of the state thrice and once respectively.

The JD(U) since its formation in 2003 had remained in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) across states including Jharkhand, expect from June 2013 to August 2017, when the party switched to Rashtriya Janta Dal-led Grand Alliance (GA) in Bihar. The party, which had won six out of the 81 assembly seats in 2005, doesn’t have any presence in the state legislature as of now and its organisational strength has been fading with each passing year.

However, buoyed by its recent successes in the Lok Sabha polls when it won 16 out of the 17 seats it had contested in Bihar followed by the triumph in Arunachal Pradesh – where JD(U) went on to become the second largest party winning seven seats, the JD-U is now striving hard for Jharkhand assembly polls to build up on its push to become a strong national party.

“Nitish Kumar’s scheduled visit on Sunday has already set eye-balls rolling in Jharkhand’s political circles. The state badly needs Kumar’s model of development and we are confident that we will make a difference with or without any alliance in the coming polls,” said JD-U Jharkhand president and former BJP parliamentarian, Salkhan Murmu.

JD-U had contested the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar in alliance with BJP and also intends to contest the 2020 assembly polls under the NDA. However, during the recently held party’s executive committee meeting in Patna, the party leaders announced that outside Bihar they would go solo in all polls.

In Jharkhand, if JD(U) fails or refuses to bridge an alliance with any party, it would be pitted against a strong NDA – comprising BJP and All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and a resolute Grand Alliance (GA) comprising JMM, Congress, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) and the left.

The party leaders, both in Patna and Ranchi, are unperturbed by the prevalent political combinations. Influenced from Rajya Sabha deputy speaker Harivansh in the state and backed by expertise of poll strategist Prashant Kishore, whose teams have been working clandestinely in all 24 districts for last six months, JD(U) leadership is confident of altering all the set poll equations.

“Our party vice-president, Prashant Kishore’s teams have done extensive ground work and have found out that there exists immense potential for JD(U) to make headway in the neighbouring state,” said a senior JD(U) leader requesting not to be quoted.

Though the party has announced to contest all 81 seats, it may scale down to 35 seats or even less after Kumar’s meeting with local leaders and office bearers, leaders, adding, they would field candidates in constituencies where they stand a chance to win or give a tough fight.

According to the insiders, the party would focus on constituencies with high Kurmi voters’ percentage. Several disgruntled Kurmi leaders associated with other parties are being lured to join JD(U).

Shailendra Mahato, vice-president of JD(U) unit in Jharkhand, said that among others, Kumar would be accompanied by Kishore, Member of Parliament Lallan Singh, Bihar welfare minister and Jharkhand in-charge Ram Sevak Singh and general secretary Arun Kumar Singh.

“Our national president would be in Gaya on August 24 where he would stay back overnight. Next morning after breakfast, he will leave for Ranchi by road and hold crucial meetings till 5 pm before he departs for Patna by the evening flight,” he said.

Nand Kishore Yadav, BJP’s Jharkhand co in-charge, said that JD(U)’s foray into Jharkhand assembly polls does not affect his party much as JD(U) has contested polls independently in several states. “Our alliance with them is only in Bihar. We do not have anything to do with their decisions,” he said.

Cabinet gives nod to Bihar Sand Mining Policy 2019

Source: moneycontrol.com

The Bihar Cabinet has approved the revised sand mining policy as per which an applicant can get licence for a maximum of two sand blocks.

The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on August 13 gave its nod to the draft proposal of Bihar Sand Mining Policy 2019 with a view to regulate sand mining, conserve environment, ensure availability of sand, Cabinet Secretariat Department, principal secretary, Sanjay Kumar told reporters here.

As per the draft policy, now a single person or a registered company, partnership firm or a cooperative society can obtain license for a maximum two sand blocks/ghats or 200 hectares of sand mining area, whichever is lower, the principal secretary said.

Any person now can get maximum of two sand blocks allotted provided such mining area is not spread over 200 hectares of mining area either in one district or any other district, he said adding that now the government has set a limit for getting sand blocks.

The draft policy has also treated rivers in district as a separate unit for allotment of sand blocks, the principal secretary said.

Altogether 19 decisions were taken in the cabinet meeting.

The cabinet also decided to reserve one per cent of quota for people performing well on national and international sporting events in the selection of constables in Bihar Police, he said.It also sanctioned a revised estimate of Rs 108 crore for providing piped drinking water in arsenic affected villages of Maner in Patna district, he said.

No compromise on corruption, communalism: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Independence Day

Source: indiatoday.in

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday asserted that there would be no compromise on “crime, corruption and communalism” under his rule, which has been characterized by “nyay ke saath vikas” (development with justice) and “sampradayik sauhardra” (communal harmony).

In his hour-long address at Gandhi Maidan here on the occasion of Independence Day, Kumar said a new system of policing was being introduced in the state for effective maintenance of law and order.

“We are never going to compromise on crime, corruption and communalism. ‘Nyay ke saath vikas and sampradayik sauhardra’ have been and will always remain our priority.

“From today, we have introduced a new system of policing wherein maintenance of law and order and investigation shall stand separated so that personnel engaged in either are not distracted by other demands of duty,” Kumar said after unfurling the tricolour.

The chief minister also inspected the tableaux depicting the various schemes launched and the measures taken during his 14-year-long rule in the state.

“Our crackdown on corruption will continue. Bribery, amassing of wealth disproportionate to assets and through misuse of public office will be severely dealt with. None of those who are involved in earning money through illegal and immoral means will be spared,” the chief minister said.

Kumar pointed out that a Public Service Grievances Redressal Act is in place which guarantees resolution of complaints in a transparent manner and a mechanism has been devised for deciding service-related issues of government servants in a time-bound manner.

“People must be made aware that ill-gotten wealth may bring momentary pleasure, but its long-term impact is perilous. We must always keep in mind the words of Mahatma Gandhi that we must consume only as much as we need, giving up greed in any form,” he maintained.

Recalling that he had ordered a complete ban on sale and consumption of alcohol three years ago, in line with the demand of women in the state, Kumar said it had evoked enthusiasm, with people forming a massive human chain on the theme of prohibition, though “many who think it is their right to drink, seem to be unhappy over this move.”

People must realize that consumption of alcohol cannot be a matter of rights, he asserted.

“I would also like to draw the attention of youth towards a report of World Health Organization which has done a study on the ill effects of consuming liquor,” he added.

The CM also spoke at length about the measures taken by his government to improve education scenario in the state, including the proposed launch of “Unnayan Bihar” programme next month which aims to emulate across the state a successful e-learning experiment carried out in Banka district.

He said that his government was committed to providing people with better health care facilities and that the expansion and upgrading of premier hospitals at Patna, Muzaffarpur and Gaya have been approved.

Kumar mentioned that his government was taking steps to boost agriculture, including the setting up of a separate power feeder for farmers.

He lamented that the effects of climate change are being felt in Bihar, where there has been a decline in average rainfall over the years, while untimely showers have caused flash floods.

“We are doing our bit to reverse the damage. Our Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali drive, launched recently, is a step in this direction”, he added.

The CM, after attending the Independence Day ceremony, visited the Rajdhani Vatika adventure park in the city where he tied a thread around a tree in presence of cabinet colleagues, including his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi.

The state government is observing the festival of “Rakshabandhan”, which falls on this date, as “Vriksh Suraksha Diwas” (Day for protection of trees).

Crimes against women on the rise in Bihar, MLA says incidents can’t be brought to zero

Source: zeenews.india.com

Recent weeks have seen a spurt in the rate of crimes against women in the state of Bihar which has put the glaring spotlight on the police and political machinery here. While opposition parties have upped the pressure on the government, BJP MLA Arun Sinha said that such crimes can be reduced but cannot be eliminated completely.

The political uproar in Bihar comes in the backdrop of rise in crimes against women with three incidents in the recent past adding fuel to fire. In a state where the crime graph has been steadily on the rise, incidents against women too have been reported. In one incident, three men allegedly raped a minor girl and then tried to kill her in Chapra. While cops arrested two of the accused, the third managed to flee. The minor is in a critical condition at PMCH Hospital.

In a separate incident, the body of a 16-year-old girl was recovered in a mutilated condition in Nalanda’s Baellor village. Cops say that the head was beaten with bricks in an attempt to conceal the identity of the victim who may have been raped before she was killed.

In the third gruesome incident. a minor girl was kept inside a hotel room for four days and repeatedly raped in Muffasil district of the state.

These three incidents, in particular, have inflamed political tensions with Congress spokesperson Rajesh Rathore saying that girls and women are not safe under the government of CM Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi. “There are Nirbhaya-like incidents happening in Bihar everyday and the government is silent,” he said. RJD’s Mrityunjay Tiwari also echoed similar thoughts and said that the message of good governance is false.

In the government’s defence, JDU’s Rajeev Ranjan admitted that the recent crimes against women have been shocking. BJP’s Sinha, however, courted controversy while mounting a counter. “Such crimes can be brought down but cannot be eliminated completely,” he said. Sinha also appealed to people to come out and report such crimes.

There have been 605 rape cases which have been reported in Bihar between January and May of 2019. The maximum number of these have been in Patna – 41.

In 2018, 1475 cases of rape were reported across Bihar while 1195 cases in 2017 and 1008 cases were reported in 2016.

Bihar CM to hold public meeting in Jharkhand

Source: dailypioneer.com

Bihar Chief Minister and JDU national president Nitish Kumar is to address a public meeting in State Capital on August 25, starting the political campaign of his party in Jharkhand. JDU which is partner of NDA in Bihar and playing the role of big brother in Bihar had already expressed its intention to contest year-end Assembly election alone in Jharkhand.

JDU Jharkhand unit president and former MP, Salkhan Murmu said, “As the party has announced to contest Assembly election alone in State, we have started preparations for the election. In this connection Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is to address a public meeting in Ranchi on August 25.” Murmu further said, “The party has given a slogan, Nitish Lao, Jharkhand Bachao (Bring Nitish, Save Jharkhand).”

The JDU leader claimed that under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, Bihar has witnessed all round development in all sectors. Improvement in law and order, women empowerment, and improving education are some of the sectors on which Bihar has made drastic changes.

The JDU has decided to reach to people in State with the Nitish Kumar’s development model.

The party cadres will reach out to people especially in rural areas how Bihar has witnessed a turnaround after Nitish Kumar came to power in Jharkhand.

The JDU cadre will also go to people highlighting the weak Opposition in State. Murmu said, “After the Lok Sabha election, all Opposition parties are decimated. The JMM’s politics revolves on father and son duo. There is no internal democracy in JMM. While the grand old party, Congress is struggling for survival as the party is pitched in internal struggle.”

Murmu said, “After the Lok Sabha  election, there is two factions in Congress party. One group is lead by State president Ajoy Kumar while the other group is headed by Subodh Kant Sahay and others.” According to JDU leader, in such situation, JDU has huge scope in Jharkhand as people are looking for an alternative party which can counter BJP.

To strengthen party in Jharkhand, the JDU has decided to make at least six members from every village. Murmu, who first became MP in 1998 under the banner of BJP, has always been advocating the cause of the tribals.

“We are dedicated for the progress of the tribals so our focus would be on them. Our party cadres and leaders have started working in the rural belts to make the voters realize their importance and need to safeguard their interests,” he noted.

The leader also said that the party will try to highlight the needs of protecting Chotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Acts

which are related with tribal sentiments. “The JDU will also work for protecting and safeguarding the tribal interest as the successive Governments has failed to hand over the land rights to the tribals

and ensure their adequate representation in the government jobs,” added Murmu.

Bihar: 12 incidents of mob lynching reported in last 15 days, say Patna Police

Source: scroll.in

There have been 12 incidents of mob lynching across Bihar in the last 15 days, Additional Director General of Patna Police Jitendra Kumar told ANI on Wednesday. “Public shouldn’t take law in their hands,” said Kumar, adding that the Patna Police have organised a special drive across the state to spread awareness among people to not believe in rumours.

Two lynchings were reported from Rupaspur and Dhanarua in Patna district on Saturday night, according to The Times of India. As many as 32 people have been arrested in the Rupaspur case and two in the Dhanarua one.

“Specific instructions were given after Supreme Court had taken up the mob lynching issue and had directed state governments to act accordingly for preventing such violence,” Kumar said. “But after some recent incidents of thrashing over rumours, officials were directed to take steps by roping in public representatives.”

The Patna Police have begun conducting public events from Monday, Kumar said. He added that the police have been asked to pass on a message through village mukhiyas, sarpanches, and other representatives that nobody who indulges in rumour mongering will be spared.

Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Garima Malik said that a police-public meeting was held at Kadamkuan on Monday. Another event was held at Danapur bus stand in Danapur Cantonment.

“The motive to organise the programme at Danapur bus stand was that several people traverse through that point and words of police would reach locations were people would travel.” She said that the police also shared their phone numbers with members of the public.

Apart from Bihar, a spate of mob lynchings has claimed dozens of lives in Maharashtra, Tripura, Assam, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Karnataka since March. In nearly all cases, the mobs seem to have been incited by widely shared WhatsApp videos and messages asking people to beware of child kidnappers. The victims have ranged from innocent people asking for directions; transgendered people; the poor; and the mentally challenged.

PM Modi denied my plea to accord central status to Patna University: Nitish Kumar

Source: moneycontrol.com

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lamented that his fervent request for grant of central status to Patna University two years ago was dismissed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi denying the institution much needed help.

He said he is hopeful now that the university will get its due as Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu is present at the programme held to observe the centenary of the library of the varsity.

Later in his address, Naidu said he would talk to Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokriyal and find out if measures could be taken to accord central university status to it.

Had his request been accepted two years ago, the glory of the institute which was once considered “the greatest not just in the country, but the whole of Asia”, could have been restored, said Kumar, an alumnus of the university, referring to its centenary celebrations held in October, 2017.

At that programme two years ago, Kumar said, he had repeatedly requested Modi, who shared the dais with him, “with folded hands” to consider the demand for a central status to the university.

“But my plea was turned down,” Kumar said.

The prime minister, who had spoken afterwards, had dismissed the request stating that the idea of granting central status to universities had become obsolete and Patna University would do better to avail of the opportunities at hand given the government’s thrust on making institutes of higher learning world class.

The development had come barely a couple of months after Kumar returned to the NDA and it had led to opposition parties like Lalu Prasad’s RJD launching a barrage of ridicule on the chief minister.

“That was, however, a different occasion. Today we are here to celebrate the centenary of the library of Patna University,” Kumar said recollecting that the vice president was also present at that programme as the chief guest.

Turning towards Naidu, whom Kumar has known since the days they were cabinet colleagues in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, Kumar said, “Now that you are among us, I hope something would be done to give this university its due. The state government is doing its bit. But had the Centre agreed to take it over, it would have made a world of difference.”

The chief minister said Bihar is the land of scholars like Aryabhatta and Chanakya ancient seats of learning like Nalanda.

“Patna University is not a run of the mill institution. It was established when there were very few modern universities in the country,” he pointed out.

Kuamr said the university would have centres devoted to ecological studies.He also urged students to take interest in social service and “do not lose sight of the role environment plays in our lives if you are interested in politics”.