Patna: (BiharTimes)The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Thursday stepped up its attack on the Nitish Kumar–led NDA government, accusing it of attempting to “cover up” the suspicious death of a NEET aspirant and of exerting pressure on opposition leaders who are raising questions over the case.
Speaking to reporters outside the Bihar Legislative Assembly during the ongoing Budget Session, senior RJD leader and Maner MLA Bhai Virendra alleged that the state government was shielding those responsible for the student’s death. He claimed that police pressure was being mounted on opposition leaders who have spoken out on the issue.
“The Bihar government is trying to cover up the suspicious death of a NEET aspirant. The police are putting pressure on opposition leaders who are raising this issue. We are giving the government enough time to act against the culprits. If it fails to do so, we will take to the streets,” Bhai Virendra said.
Another RJD MLA, Gautam Krishna, also launched a sharp critique of the NDA government, accusing it of diverting attention from pressing public concerns.
“This government is raising irrelevant issues instead of addressing real problems. They are questioning why Tejashwi Yadav went abroad. How does that concern common people? The real issues are unemployment, crimes against women, and justice for the NEET aspirant, but the NDA government is not addressing these,” he said on the third day of the Budget Session.
Questioning the credibility of the investigation, Gautam Krishna expressed scepticism over the functioning of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the subsequent transfer of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“When the SIT was formed, I had already said it would be used to manipulate facts. Now that the cover-up is complete, the case has been handed over to the CBI. Under whose control is the CBI working? It is under the Centre, which has close ties with the Bihar government. The victim’s family will not get justice even from the CBI,” he alleged, demanding that the matter be probed by a sitting Supreme Court judge.
Reacting to the state budget, the RJD MLA accused the Nitish Kumar government of misleading people with selective data on employment generation.
“The government claims it is solving unemployment by setting up factories. I challenge ruling party leaders to visit Patna railway station and see trains going to Delhi, Mumbai, Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Who are travelling in the general coaches? If jobs are available here, why are people migrating?” he asked.
The sharp remarks by RJD leaders indicate that the NEET aspirant death case and unemployment are likely to dominate the remainder of the Budget Session of the Bihar Assembly, with the opposition warning of street protests if the government fails to take decisive action.
