Patna: The government in India’s Bihar state, headed by chief minister Nitish Kumar, has come under fire after it publicly appealed to gangsters and anti-social elements to stay away from crime during the Hindu ritual of Pitripaksha Mela.
The fortnight — long event, an annual ritual for Hindus began in Gaya on Sunday.
Around two million pilgrims are expected to attend the ritual performed on the banks of Phalgu river.
“With folded hands I appeal to the criminals not to indulge in any criminal activities during the ritual period,” Bihar deputy chief minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushil Kumar Modi said while inaugurating the event on Sunday evening.
He added it would earn a bad name for the state and tarnish the image of Bihar if the criminals continued committing crimes and targeted pilgrims visiting the town.
As the speech went viral, opposition parties launched a bitter attack on the ruling regime.
They described deputy CM’s appeal as a “complete surrender” to the criminals and derided the “rule of law” claims made by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
“See how the deputy chief minister is shamelessly begging before criminals with folded hands not to commit crime in the next 15 days? Shame on you Mr Modi,” Bihar opposition leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said.
Tejashwi who served as the deputy chief minister in the previous Grand Alliance government further mocked his successor who during the last state poll campaigns had promised to establish a “rule of law” in Bihar. The situation has changed, Tejashwi said, and the NDA leader had “surrendered” before criminals.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) vice-president Shivanand Tiwari launched even more virulent attacks on the government for making a public appeal to the criminals to refrain from crime, instead of dealing strongly with such elements.
“The appeal is really ridiculous. Instead of employing its police to tackle crime, the government is requesting criminals with folded hands to stay away from crime. How strange,” Tiwari said, adding the government has no right to stay in office. “This is abject surrender before the criminals and nothing else,” he said.
The Congress also took a dig at the government over the statement.
“The government is unable to maintain rule of law in the state and has virtually surrendered before criminals. It is very shameful,” state Congress president Madan Mohan Jha said.
