Patna: Following the controversial remark made by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Hindustani Awami Morcha (HAM) Chief Jitan Ram Manjhi has organized a silent protest near Patna High Court on Tuesday.
Jitan Ram Manjhi issued a statement accusing Nitish Kumar of insulting the entire Dalit community with his comments directed at him.
“Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s derogatory comments directed at me have offended the entire Dalit community. A silent protest has been arranged at the Ambedkar memorial near the Patna High Court on Tuesday. Other organizations will also participate in the protest”, Former Bihar CM and HAM Chief Jitan Ram Manjhi said in a statement.
The discontent stems from Mr. Kumar’s statement during a discussion on the Reservation Amendment Bill in the state assembly on Thursday, where he said that appointing Jitan Ram Manjhi as Chief Minister was a mistake.
Nitish Kumar also revealed that his party opposed the decision and urged him to dismiss Manjhi from the post.
“Making Jitan Ram Manjhi as Chief Minister was a big mistake. My party was against the decision and they also told me to remove him from the post. He keeps saying that he is the former CM of Bihar. He became the chief minister due to my foolishness”.
The controversy escalated when Nitish Kumar criticized Jitan Ram Manjhi for questioning the findings of a caste-based survey and the socio-economic data report presented in the house last week.
Notably, the Bihar Chief Minister had also stirred controversy while discussing the importance of education for women in controlling the population, facing subsequent backlash for his language.
The opposition BJP and Jitan Ram Manjhi protested at the Bihar assembly premises on Friday, demanding Nitish Kumar’s resignation.
Former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting the issue.
“The Bihar Chief Minister has not only offended the Dalit community but also insulted women with his comments. I express my gratitude to the Prime Minister, who addressed this issue in his speech in Telangana and other states. The Prime Minister stood by me, just as he supported Ram Vilas Paswan when Nitish Kumar insulted him”.
