Kamal Ghorui
Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Tuesday attacked the BJP over the killing of a 23-year-old Khagaria resident in Delhi, alleging, “being Bihari has become the biggest crime and act of treason under the BJP govt.”In a strongly worded statement, Tejashwi said Pandav Kumar, a native of Khagaria, was shot dead in New Delhi “simply because he was Bihari,” while his friend Krishan was battling for life after allegedly being targeted for the same reason.Referring to the BJP’s presence across different levels of govt, Tejashwi said the area where the shooting took place was represented by BJP leaders. He added that the Delhi chief minister, Bihar chief minister, Union home minister and the Prime Minister were all linked to the ruling party. He alleged the BJP had “become the death knell for Biharis.”Tejashwi questioned whether BJP leaders had the courage to ensure punishment for the policeman accused in the killing of what he described as a “poor, hardworking Bihari.”He also blamed what he termed the “failed policies” of 21 years of Nitish Kumar-BJP rule in Bihar for large-scale migration from the state. According to him, migrant workers from Bihar face suspicion, hatred and discrimination in other states and often become victims of atrocities.Targeting the Delhi Police, which functions under the Union home ministry, Tejashwi said it was deeply condemnable those entrusted with protecting citizens had allegedly treated someone as a criminal merely for “being Bihari” and opened fire.He accused NDA leaders of remaining silent over the incident and demanded a prompt and thorough investigation, strict action against those responsible, adequate compensation for the victim’s family and immediate justice. Calling the incident an assault on the dignity of Bihar and its people, he said justice must be delivered without delay.State BJP media head Danish Eqbal said the BJP was sensitive and stood with the victim’s family. “We all are sorry for what has happened and strongly condemn it. The cop who shot the victim was in inebriated condition. The case has been lodged and he will be caught,” Danish said, hitting out at Tejashwi for politicising the issue. “Tejashwi should stop doing politics over such sensitive matters,” he added.
