PM cancelled Bihar visit fearing BJP's loss in Bankipur bypoll: Tejashwi Yadav
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled a planned visit to Bihar after realising that student protests and the
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled a planned visit to Bihar after realising that student protests and the “growing unpopularity” of the government could hurt the BJP in the Bankipur Assembly bypoll. There has been no word from the BJP government in the state on the Prime Minister’s tour. Reacting to the BJP’s intensive campaign for the July 30 bypoll, Yadav said, “It is a high-stakes battle that they (BJP) are certain to lose.” He alleged that PM Modi had been scheduled to inaugurate a bridge in Bihar, but dropped the visit after sensing an electoral setback.
Read Full Story “People might not be aware that the Prime Minister had planned to chip in. He was scheduled to visit Bihar to inaugurate a bridge, but he cancelled his tour upon realising that his party was going to lose,” Yadav said. Although the RJD has fielded Rekha Gupta, who was runner-up in last year’s Assembly polls, the by-election is being seen as a straight contest between Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor and BJP nominee Neera Kumar Sinha, a low-profile leader from the party’s youth wing. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the RJD’s campaign, Yadav said, “Growing unpopularity in the wake of brutal repression of protesters has led the Bihar government to order withdrawal of cases against the demonstrators and the release of those arrested in this connection.” The Bihar government on Monday announced that it would withdraw all cases lodged against protesters over the NEET paper leak and release those jailed under various charges.
Yadav said this step was not enough and repeated his demand for a judicial inquiry into police action during the protests. “This is not enough. I still stand by my demand for a judicial inquiry into the conduct of police personnel who fired from an AK-47 rifle at the protesters on July 25,” he said. He was referring to an incident in Siwan district on Saturday, when Left-wing student unions had called a Bihar bandh in protest against the NEET question paper leak. No one was injured in the firing, but the police constable involved has been placed under suspension. Yadav, whose party is at present decimated in the Assembly, also promised a pension for all those arrested during the recent student protests if he comes to power, on the lines of pensions given to ‘JP Senanis’.
‘JP Senanis’ are political activists who were imprisoned during the Emergency for supporting socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan’s movement. Ends
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