Jitan Ram Manjhi's video triggers fresh 'vote chori' row in Bihar
Patna (PTI): A row has erupted in Bihar over a video in which Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has purportedly spoken of having "helped" a candidate who was trailing by a narrow margin in an assembly poll.
The video, which seems to have been shot in Manjhi's Lok Sabha constituency of Gaya, has been shared by the opposition RJD-Congress combine, which was drubbed in the recently held elections, as "proof of vote chori" by the BJP-led NDA.
Manjhi, however, said the video was tampered with and shared on social media.
The former Bihar chief minister, who heads the Hindustani Awam Morcha, can be heard speaking of an incident involving Tikari assembly segment, which his party's candidate Anil Kumar had won in 2020 but lost to RJD in the assembly polls held last month.
ALSO READ: Doctor whose naqab was removed by Nitish Kumar will join duty in Bihar: Official
Speaking in the local dialect Magahi, the octogenarian can be heard saying, "the candidate was trailing by 2,700 votes in the 2020 assembly polls. He called me up, and I telephoned the official concerned. Finally, he was declared the winner".
PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
"This time, the candidate lost by 1,600 votes. But instead of contacting me, he chose to concede defeat. The then DM of Gaya, who is now posted in Tripura, telephoned me to enquire what went wrong this time. I could have done nothing when the candidate chose to return home without contacting me", Manjhi can be heard as saying in the video.
The RJD, which may have wrested Tikari but has suffered a crash in its tally to only 25 from 75 five years ago, shared the video on its official X handle, claiming it as "the truth of the artificial popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi".
The opposition party alleged that Modi, aided by the Election Commission, had made in the recent elections, "an unsuccessful attempt at political assassination of our young and revolutionary leader Tejashwi Yadav".
Bihar Congress spokesman Asit Nath Tiwari echoed the sentiments and alleged, "Union home minister was all fire and brimstone inside Parliament recently while reacting to allegations of vote theft. Now, the confession of his cabinet colleague suggest that what is taking place is not vote chori but vote dacoity".
However, Manjhi came out with an angry post on his X handle claiming "a video of mine has been tampered with and shared on social media by those who think they can defame a son of a Musahar (a Mahadalit community)"
"I want to tell all such people that Manjhi has now become a brand. He is not going to be scared of anyone", added the Union minister.
When Bihar minister and former state BJP president Dilip Jaiswal was asked about the controversy, he said, "I have seen the unedited video. Manjhi was speaking about counting of votes having been stalled for several hours in 2020, after his candidate was trailing in the penultimate round by a small margin. After counting of votes was over, the candidate was declared".
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PDP leader Iltija Mufti lodges police complaint against Nitish Kumar for pulling woman's 'naqab'
Srinagar (PTI): PDP leader Iltija Mufti on Friday lodged a police complaint seeking the registration of an FIR against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for recently pulling off the veil from a woman doctor’s face.
However, there was no word from the police on whether an FIR has been registered against the JD-U chief.
“I’m writing to bring to your attention a vile incident which has caused immense distress and hurt among Muslims, especially women. A few days ago, we watched with shock, horror and worry as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulled down the ‘naqab’ of a young Muslim doctor in full public glare at a government function,” Mufti said in her complaint to the Kothibagh SHO.
She added that what made “matters worse was the unsettling reaction of the people around, including the deputy chief minister, who chuckled and watched with glee”.
“The forceful stripping of her ‘naqab’ wasn’t just a brutal assault on a Muslim lady but on the autonomy, identity and dignity of every Indian woman,” Mufti alleged.
ALSO READ: Doctor whose naqab was removed by Nitish Kumar will join duty in Bihar: Official
The incident, a video clip of which has been circulated widely, sparking a major political row, took place on Monday at the chief minister’s secretariat in Patna where Ayush doctors gathered to receive their letters of appointment.
When the woman came up for her letter, Kumar saw her 'naqab', said “what is this” and then removed the veil, prompting the opposition parties to demand an unconditional apology from the chief minister.
Mufti said it was more concerning that the incident took place amid the “deliberate othering and political and economic disempowerment of Muslims all across India”.
The complaint said in the days following the "shameful" incident, “we have witnessed with abject horror videos of miscreants pulling off the naqabs of Muslim women across India”.
“Perhaps a chief minister engaging in this vulgar act of indecency has now emboldened such lumpen elements, giving them carte blanche (complete freedom) to humiliate and attack Muslim women,” the PDP leader alleged in her complaint.
Mufti also said that as a young Muslim woman, she is “deeply worried” that so far, no concrete action has been taken in the matter to serve both as a deterrent and precedent.
“BJP ministers and the men in power are justifying Kumar's indecency. Au contraire (on the contrary), they are condoning and celebrating it. I am sure you will agree that the rule of law must be applied uniformly and unequivocally to every Indian citizen.
“Being a chief minister doesn't exonerate an individual just because he enjoys political power and patronage,” Mufti said, and urged police to immediately file an FIR against Kumar.
“We owe it to every Indian woman to protect her dignity. The choice to wear what she wants without fear, with her head held high,” she added.
Speaking to reporters, Mufti said rather than apologising for what the Bihar chief minister did, the BJP ministers are “giving vulgar statements”.
“Yesterday, Griraj Singh, a Union minister, said Muslims in India should go to hell. If you touch the veil of our women, please be ready for the consequences.
“There was a need to file an FIR as, instead of being apologetic, the BJP wants to justify what he did, which is extremely wrong and criminal,” she said.
The PDP leader also said it is up to the police now, “but we have to do our bit”.
Lashing out at J-K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Mufti said it is "most troubling" that Abdullah, who is the only Muslim chief minister in India, did not issue a statement against Kumar’s act for two days, and when he did, he justified Kumar's “indecent act”.
“Despite being a Muslim chief minister, he does not want to protect Muslim girls and women. So, I felt it was my duty as a young Muslim woman to come here today, express solidarity with this doctor, and also to make sure that the dignity and identity of not just Muslim women, but all women across India, are protected. We have the right to choose what we want to wear with our head held high,” Mufti said.
PDP's Iltija Mufti lodges police complaint against Bihar CM Nitish Kumar over 'hijab' incident
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