‘Something’s Being Mixed in Nitish’s Food’: Jitan Manjhi’s Big Claim, Cites Examples to Prove

Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday claimed that “poisonous substances” are being mixed in Nitish Kumar’s food. He claimed that a conspiracy is being hatched to remove Kumar as the CM, and hence, “he’s being intoxicated”. “The way he has been speaking recently proves it,” Manjhi added.

Manjhi further citied another example from a tribute meeting attended by the Bihar CM. “…This is why flowers are being offered to Ashok Chaudhary instead of Mahavir Chaudhary,” he added.

A video of Nitish Kumar paying tribute to a ‘dead leader’ went viral recently. While the Bihar CM was there to pay respect to Mahavir Chaudhary, he showered flowers on his son Ashok Chaudhary, who is Kumar’s cabinet colleague.

Manjhi’s comments came a day after Nitish Kumar lost his cool in the Bihar assembly and said it was due to his “stupidity” that he had made Manjhi the chief minister of the state.

Nitish Kumar Gives Manjhi A Mouthful

Manjhi, now president of the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), became the CM in May 2014 when he was with Janata Dal (United) and Kumar stepped down from the post on moral grounds following his party’s drubbing in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

“He keeps saying he too has been a chief minister. He became a chief minister because of my stupidity. Does he have any sense (ye bolta hai ki hum Mukhyamantri the. Meri moorkhta ki vajah se mukhyamantri bana. Isko koi sense hai)”, Kumar screamed, causing commotion in the House. Kumar’s cabinet colleagues were seen tugging at his kurta, urging him to calm down and take his seat, though the septuagenarian did not relent until he had given Manjhi a mouthful.

He also said “journalists should also know the complete facts. They keep giving a lot of publicity to this man”. BJP members, who rose in protest, were told by Kumar, “this man has always been wanting to remain in your company. When I dumped you a year ago, I had asked him to stay put, but he insisted that he wanted to come with me. Now he has run away. He wants to become a governor. Please oblige him”.

The chief minister took his seat only after Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary told him, “after all, he had become the chief minister only because of your benediction (kripa)”. The House was adjourned for the day soon afterwards, having finished the day’s business which included unanimously passed bills that raised quotas for SCs, STs, EBCs and OBCs from 50 per cent to 65 per cent, taking the overall reservation in the state to 75 per cent including 10 per cent of economically weaker sections quota which the Centre introduced a few years ago and was implemented in the state.

Talking to reporters outside the House later, Manjhi said, “I will complain against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to the governor and Union home minister. I will demand his dismissal and clamping of President’s Rule in the state. Only a couple of days ago he had brought shame to the state through his remarks about women. His repeated misconduct shows he is no more in a sound state of mind and cannot be entrusted to hold such an important post”.

As Manjhi spoke, he was flanked on both sides by BJP MLAs, who expressed solidarity with the HAM chief and accused Kumar of having “insulted a Dalit”.