In a fiery exchange during Bihar Legislative Council proceedings on Thursday, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders unleashed a barrage of criticism against the Nitish Kumar government. The opposition zeroed in on surging crime rates, kidnappings, crumbling old barrages, encroachments at bus stops, and delays in university establishments. RJD MLC Abdul Bari Siddiqui took center stage, directly challenging Deputy CM and Home Minister Samrat Chaudhary over the state’s deteriorating law and order.
Siddiqui painted a grim picture of Bihar’s crime landscape, asserting that offenses have skyrocketed from 1.52 lakh cases in 2004 to a staggering 3.52 lakh today. ‘Crime is rampant across most districts, with women’s safety at an all-time low. Criminals roam freely while police fail to rein them in,’ he thundered. In a sharp barb, he declared, ‘If this is Mangal Raj, then Jungle Raj was preferable.’
Post-session, RJD workers under Rabri Devi’s leadership staged a protest outside, accusing the government of fostering crime and corruption. Meanwhile, Samrat Chaudhary hit back with data, clarifying that of 20,768 kidnapping cases, only 158 were genuine crimes—most involved elopements or marriages. ‘Blaming the government for these is misleading,’ he retorted.
RJD MLC Sunil Singh pressed for details on online FIR portals, demanding district-wise figures. Chaudhary assured continuous registrations and awareness drives. On infrastructure, MLC Maheshwar Singh highlighted the decay of Valmiki Nagar, Virpur, and Indrapur barrages, over 50 years old and strained beyond capacity. Water Resources Minister Vijay Chaudhary countered that expert inspections from Pune deemed them safe, with round-the-clock monitoring in place.
This showdown underscores deepening political rifts in Bihar, with opposition leveraging crime stats to erode government credibility ahead of future polls. As debates rage, citizens await tangible improvements in security and infrastructure.