Tag: RJD

Bihar: Burnt body of woman found in Samastipur, second such incident in 24 hours.

Source – indiatoday.in

Charred body of a woman was found at a secluded spot in Bihar’s Samastipur district on Wednesday, making it the second such incident in 24 hours, according to police.

The body was found in Dardari Chaur in Warisnagar police station area, said officials who suspect that that the woman was killed elsewhere and later dumped there.

They said the woman could not be identified as the body was charred beyond recognition from head to knees.

“The clothes of the woman are also burnt, making identification difficult. It appears she was killed elsewhere and her body was dumped at the spot after being set afire,” Warisnagar’s Station House Officer Prasunjay Kumar told PTI-Bhasha.

“We have sent the body to a hospital in Samastipur town for post-mortem which would ascertain whether she was subjected to sexual assault,” he said.

A similar incident was reported from Buxar district in south Bihar on Tuesday, triggering outrage amid nationwide protests over the rape and murder of a veterinary doctor in Hyderabad days back.

Expressing dismay over such incidents happening in Bihar, state women’s commission chairperson Dilmani Mishra said in Patna, “It appears that the sensitivity of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar towards the female population is being done in by a callous administration.”

“There have been instances when the local administration has not cared to even reply to a notice issued by us about a crime against a woman,” she lamented.

Reacting to the incidents, former chief minister and RJD leader Rabri Devi slammed the ruling dispensation.

“Every day women are being raped across Bihar but those in power do not even deign to utter a word of regret on these disgusting incidents, let alone being moved to take some concrete action,” she said.

‘Maharashtra’s side effect could be visible in Bihar soon’: Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.

Source – hindustantimes.com

After a brief lull, speculations of ruling JD(U) realigning with the opposition’s RJD led alliance came into focus once again on Saturday when senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh asserted that both RJD-JD(U) were in talks for a new alliance. He claimed the ‘side effect’ of the recent Maharashtra political crisis would be visible in Bihar politics soon.

“There could be a political upheaval in Bihar soon. Internal talks are going on between RJD and JD (U) for a reunion and there are no objections from both sides,” Singh said.

“The side effect of Maharashtra’s politics where the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress came together will be visible in Bihar also,” he said, hinting that the RJD-JD (U) and Congress could come together once again. JD (U) is a senior partner in the BJP-led NDA in Bihar.

But Singh’s statement of RJD-JD(U) realignment, an experiment that both parties did in 2015, did not find traction within his own party with leader of the opposition Tejaswi Prasad Yadav, summarily, rejecting Singh’s assertion.

“There is no question of RJD having any truck with the JD (U) once again. It is not possible anymore,” Tejaswi said, in a press conference organized to show solidarity of the grand alliance partners towards RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha who has been on a fast onto death over education issues. Kushwaha later withdrew his fast.

JD (U) senior leader and minister Sanjay Jha also trashed Singh’s prophecy of a RJD-JD (U) alliance in the run up to the 2020 assembly polls, saying the JD (U) being a strong partner in the NDA would contest assembly polls with the BJP and LJP. “Like in 2010 assembly polls, the NDA in Bihar will win 206 seats,” he said.

However, Raghuvansh’s statement today just days after Jagdanand Singh took over as RJD state president has given credence to the ongoing speculations that all is not well within the NDA and chances of a political realignment in the state in the run up to the assembly was possible.

It is a different matter that Singh was pulled up by his own party a few months back for advocating that JD (U) and RJD should come together to strengthen the secular front in Bihar in a bid to oust the BJP from power. Singh had also said that RJD should align with JD(U) as it may prove beneficial for the RJD to salvage lost ground after its dismal performance in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

“Raghuvansh Singh is a senior leader but what he is talking about has nothing to do with the JD (U). The NDA is intact. But what will happen in politics is never predictable,” said Ram Lakhan, a senior JD (U) leader and former minister.

Vajpayee govt created Jharkhand, Modi taking it forward: Amit Shah

Source – indiatoday.in

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Thursday said that it was the Narendra Modi government at the Centre which was taking Jharkhand on the path of the development.

Speaking at an election rally Chatra he said that Jharkhand had witnessed large scale corruption during the previous governments but there is not a single charge of graft against the Raghubar Das government in the state.

He said the JMM, Congress and the RJD are fighting the state Assembly election in an alliance. “I would like to ask Hemant Babu (Soren) what was the stand of Congress when youth of Jharkhand were fighting for a separate state.”

“The Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had created Jharkhand and the Narendra Modi dispensation is taking it forward,” he said.

The Home minister claimed that the law and order situation has improved in the state and the “Raghubar Das government has buried Naxals “20 feet under the earth in Jharkhand”.

The BJP president that the Das government has provided electricity to 38 lakh households in the state.

Later speaking at another poll rally at Garhwa, where polls are slated to be held on November 30, Shah said that development cannot take place through use of brute power and warned Naxals that they would get “back with interest” for their violence.

Four policemen were martyred in Latehar recently. I tell the Naxals that they will get back “sudh samet” (with interest) for their actions and will be rooted out by the BJP government which will return to power in the state,” Shah, who is also the union home minister said.

Development cannot take take place through the use of bullets. It will happen when you press the button on Lotu (BJPs election symbol) in the assembly elections, Shah said, appealing to the people to give the BJP absolute majority to continue the development work in the state.

LWEs killed four state police personnel in Latehar district on November 22 and gunned down two persons, including a local BJP leader in Palamau district the next day.

Hitting out at the Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which have a seat sharing understanding in Jharkhand in the coming Assembly poll, Shah said JMM leader

Hemant Soren is sitting in the lap of Congress for power.

Referring to the welfare schemes of the BJP-led government at the Centre, Shah said the Narendra Modi government had enhanced the allotment to the state to Rs 3,08,490 crore in five years from Rs 55,253 crore sanctioned by the Manmohan Singh government.

Speaking on the security measures taken by the Narendra Modi government, Shah said there were terrorist strikes during the Manmohan Singh dispensation, but it was the Narendra Modi government which gave a befitting reply after Uri and Pulwama terror attacks by targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan territory.

Our Army will not leave anybody staring or glaring at our borders, Shah said, adding youths from Jharkhand are also standing guard on the borders.

Wearing Masks, RJD Legislators Protest Against Air Pollution in Patna.

Source – newsclick.in

Patna: The unbearable air pollution in Bihar’s capital city, Patna, resonated outside the Assembly premises, with Opposition RJD legislators staging a protest by wearing masks to express their anger over the “failure” of the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance government.

On Thursday, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) members stood outside the main gate and shouted slogans against the government’s inaction on rising pollution.

The air quality in Patna has been in the “severe category” since the past three days — Monday to Wednesday. On Thursday, the air quality was in “very poor category”. The air quality index (AQI) was 390 on Thursday, according to the Bihar State Pollution Control Board’s website.

The AQI touched 430 at 12 p.m on Wednesday, the highest in recent months. The AQI was 404 on Monday and 419 on Tuesday.

The Opposition protest came ahead of a discussion on the state government’s much hyped programme “Jal Jeevan Aur Haryali” in the Assembly on Thursday, the last day of the five-day winter session.

Protesting Opposition members demanded an explanation from the government as to how Patna had become one of the highest polluted cities in the country. They also questioned Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Sushil Kumar Modi, for doing nothing in the past decade. Modi is in charge of the state’s Environment, Forest and Climate Change department .

“Modi is only interested in publicity and has been issuing useless and baseless statements. He has not done anything to tackle the rising air pollution in Patna and across the state,” RJD legislator Ramchander Purve told NewsClick after the protest.

Purve said the pollution situation had turned from bad to worse under Modi’s charge. “Only recently the government has woken up by launching the Jal Jeevan Aur Haryali programme”.

The “severe” air quality is set to affect thousands of people, including workers, rickshaw-pullers, autorickshaw drivers and the economically weaker sections, who spend most of their time outdoors to earn their livelihood.

On November 2 and 5, the AQI of Patna was recorded as 428 and 423, respectively, which is classified as “severe” as per the World Health Organisation.

According to experts, AQI level of severe category can be harmful as inhalation of toxic air containing pollutants like PM 2.5, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide is dangerous, and can pose serious problems for people suffering from lung, heart and other diseases.

Two months ago, the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) India, in partnership with the Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED) shared the findings from Air Quality Life Index (AQLI). According to the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago’s AQLI, residents of Patna could live about 7.7 years longer if the WHO’s PM 2.5 guidelines were met.

As per the findings, based on data from the real-time air quality monitoring station in Patna, in December 2018, witnessed the worst air pollution when 51% days saw air quality in the “severe” category. Out of the cities where AQI bulletin is issued by the Central Pollution Control Board, Patna remained the most polluted city of India in December last.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Releases Poll Manifesto, Promises Reservation.

Source – ndtv.com

RANCHI: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has promised 67 per cent reservation to STs, OBCs and SCs, and government jobs to local people if it forms the government in the state after Assembly elections.

The JMM, the main opposition party in Jharkhand, which has formed an alliance with the Congress and the RJD, said it would provide 28 per cent reservation to Scheduled Tribes, 27 per cent to Other Backward Classes and 12 per cent to Scheduled Castes.

Releasing the party’s manifesto for the polls on Tuesday, JMM president Shibu Soren and his son Hemant said that if the party came to power, 75 per cent of jobs in the private sector would be reserved for locals.

“Within two years of formation of the government, all vacancies in different government departments will be filled up with the youths of Jharkhand under the Local Policy,” the manifesto promised.

Unemployed graduates and post-graduates would be given an allowance of Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 7,000 respectively every month, it said.

Of the 81 seats in the state, the JMM is contesting in 43 while the Congress and the RJD are fighting in 31 and seven seats respectively.

The manifesto said, tenders of up to Rs. 25 crore would be reserved for the natives of Jharkhand only and “Bhoomi Adhikar Kanoon” (Right to Land Act) would be introduced to give land to landless people.

Land lying vacant for five years would be taken back and returned to the original owners, the manifesto said. “Within three months of government formation, the government will recommend to the Centre to incorporate Ho (a tribal language) in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution,” it said.

Banks for women would be set up in the state to provide loan up to Rs. 50,000 without any guarantor, the manifesto said.

An amount of Rs. 2,000 would be given to women from poor families towards kitchen expenses. For farmers, Kisan Bank would be set up, minimum support price (MSP) for agriculture produce and fruits would be earmarked, it said adding that the MSP for paddy would be between Rs. 2,300 and Rs. 2,700.

If the JMM formed a government, the manifesto said, it would not acquire agriculture land for private companies. The man-days under MG-NREGA would be increased to 150 days in a year, the manifesto said.

The Sachar Committee recommendations would be implemented for the benefit of the minorities, it said, adding Madarsa Boards and Urdu Academy would be set up.

Criticising the poll promises, Jharkhand unit’s BJP president Laxman Gilua said: “The JMM, Congress and the RJD are in alliance, yet they have different manifestos. Why did not they have a common manifesto?”

The five-phase elections in the state will be held between November 30 and December 20 and counting will take place on December 23.

JD(U) frets about BJP repeating Maharashtra drama after 2020 Bihar polls.

Source – theprint.in

Patna: The Janata Dal (United) is not warming up to its partner BJP’s alliance with Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra. Though Nitish Kumar’s party doesn’t have any stake in the western state, it is concerned about the post-poll scenario developing there because Bihar goes to the polls next year.

The JD(U), now the BJP’s biggest ally in Parliament, is concerned about the developments, spokesperson Pavan Varma told ThePrint. “Whether you see Ajit Pawar with the BJP or the Shiv Sena with the Congress, where is their ideology? Combinations are being made in Maharashtra in pursuit of power,” he said.

Varma said combinations which have been invited to form the government must prove their majority on the floor of the house as soon as possible, to “Prevent the unethical practice of horse trading”. He maintained that JD(U)-BJP alliance in Bihar is strong, but added that “it is confined to Bihar”.

JD(U)’s reaction stands in sharp contrast to the BJP’s other Bihar ally, the Lok Janshakti Party. Ram Vilas Paswan, the party founder and Union cabinet minister, was among the first to congratulate the swearing in of the BJP-Ajit Pawar government Saturday morning.

Echoes of 2005, eye on 2020

The developments in Maharashtra echo what happened in Bihar after the 2005 elections, which produced a hung assembly. The LJP was part of the Congress-led UPA at the time, and 15 of its MLAs “disappeared” and later surfaced in Jharkhand, in a bid to install an NDA government led by JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar. The move was torpedoed by then-governor Buta Singh, who recommended the dissolution of the newly-elected assembly on the grounds of “horse trading”.

BJP chief Amit Shah had announced that Nitish will be the leader of the NDA in the 2020 assembly polls, but after the Maharashtra developments, this has begun to look less assuring to the JD(U).

“Suppose the BJP gets more seats than JD(U) and, with the support of LJP, breaks away some RJD MLAs and stakes claim to form the government. This is the level the BJP is willing to go for power,” a senior JD(U) leader said on the condition of anonymity. “There is a clear possibility of the Maharashtra episode being repeated in Bihar.”

The seat-sharing formula between the BJP and its allies for the 2020 assembly polls is yet to be decided. But the BJP has made it clear that it expects Nitish Kumar to be generous and reciprocate its generosity from the 2019 Lok Sabha polls — the party dropped five sitting MPs to accommodate Nitish’s demand for an equal number of seats (17 each, with the LJP getting six).

There is talk of the BJP and the JD(U) contesting 100 to 110 seats each, leaving the rest to the LJP in the 243-member house.

The alleged BJP-RJD nexus

Bihar’s Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi made a statement comparing the Shiv Sena to the RJD, and calling it a party of goons. The RJD reacted by declaring that Modi faces an identity crisis and cannot make any statement without dragging in the RJD.

When RJD founder Lalu Prasad first came to power in 1990, it was with the support of the BJP. However, after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, the parties have been the two poles of “secular” and “communal” politics in the state. Their vote bank compulsions will not allow them to come together — the RJD has to protect its Muslim votes while the BJP wouldn’t want to antagonise its upper caste votes.

However, recently, there have been charges that Lalu’s son Tejashwi Yadav has been helping BJP indirectly by ruling out the possibility of the JD(U) and Nitish Kumar returning to the fold of the Mahagathbandhan. The perception, fuelled by former allies Jitan Ram Manjhi and Mukesh Sahani, is that Tejashwi is toeing the line due to the CBI and Enforcement Directorate cases against him and his family. This has weakened Nitish Kumar’s bargaining power against the BJP.

The senior JD(U) leader quoted above pointed out that though the BJP has been attacking the RJD over corruption since Lalu Prasad was convicted and jailed in the Rs 900 crore fodder scam, it pales in comparison to the magnitude of the scam allegedly committed by Ajit Pawar and other NCP leaders in Maharashtra.

“Corruption is not an issue which the BJP holds dear when it is after allies,” the leader said, stressing that Maharashtra episode has thrown the gates open to possibilities in Bihar.

Bihar: Woman accuses ex-RJD MP’s son of sexual harassment on pretext of marriage.

Source – indiatoday.in

A woman has accused former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP, Vijay Yadav’s son of sexual harassment and fraud of Rs 13 lakh on the pretext of marriage.

The victim has lodged a complaint against Vishwajit Yadav in Gardnibagh women police station in Patna.

In her complaint, the victim claimed that she became friends with Vishwajit Yadav and gradually it turned into love. Following which, the accused had promised to marry her and sexually abused her. She further claimed that the accused took Rs 13 lakh from her as a loan, which he had not returned yet.

“When my parents learned about our bond, they agreed to our marriage. A flat was booked. I have shown details to everyone. When our marriage was broke down due to some reason, he started torturing me mentally,” the victim said.

The complainant claimed that the accused has cheated her and now he is getting married to another girl on November 22.

The victim further claimed that she had appealed President Ram Nath Kovind to help her in the whole matter and asked for protection of her and the family.

The victim said that she had approached the women’s commission in January 2019 but nobody paid attention to her complaint as it is the high-profile case.

“A petition has been filed in the court as the accused beaten my father. I was even forced to close the case. I have also filed a case of attempt to murder against the accused,” the victim said.

Speaking about the alleged matter, station in-charge of women police station Aarti Jaiswal said, “A case will be registered. The accused was called twice but he did not turn up as he had a pre-wedding ceremony at home.”

The victim in her complaint has mentioned that she went to the house of the accused on his pre-wedding ceremony. “However, the family of Vishwajit thrashed her. Later, she sat on a dharna outside the office of the superintendent of the police in Patna,” the complaint reads.

Spl court issues production warrant againt Lalu in defamation case.

Source – in.news.yahoo.com

A special court here has issued a production warrant against RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who is lodged in a jail in Ranchi, in connection with a defamation case.

Special MP/MLA court judge Kumar Abhinav on Monday issued the production warrant against Prasad in the case filed by Uday Kant Mishra, a member of Bihar State Disaster Management Authority, for making objectionable comments against him.

The court asked the authorities of Birsa Munda jail in Ranchi to produce Prasad before it on December 2, 2019, which is the next date of hearing in the case, Mishra’s counsel V S Dubey told PTI.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo is in the high security jail following his conviction in several fodder scam cases.

The court on Monday issued fresh production warrant against Prasad as he could not be produced before it via video conferencing, Dubey said.

The authorities of Birsa Munda jail had earlier told the court that Prasad could be produced before it through video conferencing as his health condition was not good.

Prasad and his son Tejashwi had mentioned Mishra’s name in reference to the Srijan scam publicly during a rally at Bhagalpur in 2017.

The multi-crore Srijan scam is related to fraudulent transfer of government money into the account of a Bhagalpur-based NGO and the CBI is investigating it. Srijan is a registered society for women in small income-generating activities.

They had also alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar regularly visited Mishra’s house whenever he came to Bhagalpur even though he had the facility to stay at the circuit house, Dubey said in his complaint.

Terming the utterances of the father-son duo as defamatory, Mishra had first sent legal notices against them demanding unconditional apology for their objectionable comments, Dubey said.

Later, Mishra proceeded against Prasad and decided not to move ahead against Tejashwi in the case.

Grand Alliance Holds Protest March In Patna, Tejashwi Yadav Absent.

Source – ndtv.com

PATNA: The five-member Grand Alliance along with the Left parties on Wednesday took out protest march in Patna against “anti-people” policies of both Central and the state governments, though RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav gave the stir a miss.

RJD, the major constituent of the opposition grouping in Bihar, however, said Mr Yadav could not participate in the “Aakrosh march” because of his engagements in the ensuing Jharkhand polls and also legal matters.

RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha, who played a pivotal role in organising the march on behalf of alliance, had on Tuesday claimed that all the prominent leaders of the grouping will take part in the march.

Apart from Mr Kushwaha,former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) president Jitan Ram Manjhi, Bihar Congress president Madan Mohan Jha and Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahni attended the march in Patna which ended at Collectorate after starting from Gandhi Maidan.

CPI state secretary Satya Narayan Singh and CPI(M) leader Arun Mishra took part in the agitation along with their partymen.

The alliance leaders, however, could not give their memorandum to District Magistrate Kumar Ravi as he was not present in the office and a junior officer was sent to receive it.

The leaders decided not to give memorandum to any other officer than the DM as it was an “insult” to them. 

The five-parties alliance- comprising RJD, Congress, RLSP, HAM(S) and VIP- held peaceful protest march at all the district headquarters town of the state during the day. 

Asked if he was leading the march, Mr Kushwaha, who is a former union minister of state, said “its not like that. This is neither Mr Kushwaha’s programme nor that of my party. It is an agitation programme of all the Grand Alliance partners and left parties…There is no question of any particular individual leading the march.”

Manjhi, whose party had earlier said that it would not join the march, attended it.

The HAM chief said that he had said that he would not be part of the march because of some confusion. 

Manjhi, however, reiterated his demand for forming coordination committee for taking decisions and better functioning of the grand alliance.

“Our demand for coordination committee is absolutely legitimate. I have given a December target (deadline) for the formation of the committee,” Manjhi said.

The HAM president, however, refused to comment on Tejashwi Yadav’s absence from the march, saying that “I have nothing to say on it. Tejashwi may not have come because of his own reasons.”

RJD resorted to tokenism by sending its spokesman Mrityunjay Tiwary to the agitation in the state capital. 

Asked why is Tejashwi Yadav not present in the march, Tiwary said he could not participate in the stir as he was engaged with his legal battles and ensuing assembly polls in Jharkhand.

He further said RJD’s state unit chief Ram Chandra Purvey was busy in a party’s crucial meeting with regard to its organisational polls. 

Manjhi’s HAM breaks alliance, to go solo in Bihar, Jharkhand state polls.

Source – business-standard.com

Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) president Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday announced that his party will be contesting on its own in 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections.

Manjhi, who had served as Bihar chief minister from May 2014 to February 2015, announced to fight alone citing that its ally Congress and the RJD are not taking him into confidence while making any decisions.

“Congress and the RJD are not hearing our demands. We have told them to make the coordination committee during the Lok Sabha election so that decisions can be taken with the consent of all the parties. But both RJD and NCP are taking decisions independently and are imposing on us, which is why we thought it is better to leave the alliance,” he said while speaking to media in Patna.

Taking about the future coarse of action, Manjhi also informed that his party will fight Jharkhand polls independently.

Earlier, Manjhi had also rejected the possibility of joining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), alleging that the BJP was involved in communal politics.

NCP and HAM contested the Lok Sabha elections in coalition with RJD, Congress and some other parties but could not win even a single seat in Bihar.