Tejashwi visits bereaved dalit families to counter ally Manjhi

Patna, May 31 (HS) The politicking in Bihar is getting in full swing, at least in the RJD. Leader of opposition and party supremo  Lalu Prasad Yadav’s heir apparent Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Sunday motored down to Ghoswari  and met the bereaved dalit family which lost its two members.

During the last two days Tejashwi, after being denied permission to go to Gopalganj, his home district where three members of the family of RJD activist where shot dead allegedly at the behest of local JD(U) MLA Amarendra Pandey. However, the RJD leader next day visited Naubatpur to console family of a dalit.

The Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) founder and former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had bitterly criticized Tejashwi for selective politics and raising the issue of only Gopalganj where three Yadav had been murdered. He questioned the integrity of RJD leader and said he was not move by the murders of dalits in the state.

HAM is an ally of the RJD led alliance in Bihar but Manjhi has been critic of Tejashwi calling him politically immature. He said Tejashwi was not listening to the allies of the alliance and doing everything unilaterally without consulting leaders of other parties.

To give a rebuttal to Manjhi, the RJD leader during past two days visited families where dalits have been murdered. In Ghoswari , falling in Mokama block in Patna district two dalit youths Golu Manjhi and Soljar Manjhi were brutally killed by crushing with stones.  The murders took place nearly 200 years away from the police station.

Tejashwi alleged that the government has totally failed to contain crime and criminals were ruling the roost in connivance with local administration and police. “The government is only tomtoming about its good governance. I will approach the officials to immediately arrest the culprits,” he said and suspected the role of local police in not doing anything in this incident.

The observers said that it was not the love for the dalits that forced Tejashwi to visit their homes but his political compulsion. Since the assembly election in Bihar is scheduled to be held in October-November this year the RJD has started its campaign despite lockdown even though it is still not certain if the election will be held on time.