Bihar cop at the centre of Nitish-Speaker war of words transferred

Ranjan Kumar, the sub-divisional police officer of Lakhisarai, has been transferred to Areraj in East Champaran in the same rank, news agency PTI reported citing an official order.

The Nitish Kumar government on Friday transferred superintendent of police (SP) rank police officer who was at the centre of a verbal showdown between the chief minister and house speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha in the Bihar Assembly earlier this week.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. (PTI)

Ranjan Kumar, the sub-divisional police officer of Lakhisarai, has been transferred to Areraj in East Champaran in the same rank, news agency PTI reported citing an official order. Sayyed Imran Masud will replace Ranjan Kumar, it was also reported.

Lakhisarai is the constituency represented by Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha who is from the BJP. The assembly constituency falls under Munger Lok Sabha seat represented by Janata Dal (United) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh. According to local media reports, the Speaker was reportedly upset over the police going strict with his supporters but going easy on those considered close to the JDU MP.

On Monday, the legislative assembly witnessed a heated exchange of words between Nitish Kumar and the speaker over whether a matter that the state government was investigating, and had referred to the privilege committee, could be brought up for discussion repeatedly.

The issue of an arrest of youth and alleged misbehaviour of district police officers with the Speaker had earlier been raised in the House several times. It was also raised on the first day of the Budget session on February 25.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Sanjay Sarawgi raised a question regarding nine murders in Lakhisarai within the first 50 days of 2022. The minister in-charge, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, answered the question, but the member was not satisfied, after which the Speaker said that the government would reply two days later. At this point, the chief minister stepped in and hit out saying that just because an incident was reported in someone’s constituency, it should not be stretched out, as the police was on job.

Nitish Kumar was upset over Sinha’s decision to defer the question and seek the government's reply again.

Subsequently, Sinha also lashed out at Nitish Kumar and said, “Your anger is justified as you are a senior member...there has been no action in the case."

He also said asked Nitish Kumar to not "demoralise the chair or undermine its authority." "You all have made me sit here. If there is administrative anarchy anywhere, the members can raise questions. My job is to protect all the members," he added.

"You tell me how to run the House. I have only said what the government reiterates - prompt action. If there is just show off in the name of investigation, the members will raise questions,” he further said.

The issue escalated further when a chastened speaker refused to take the chair on Tuesday. The two are later believed to have worked out a rapprochement.

The chief minister holds the all-important Home portfolio and a section of BJP leaders claim that despite his diminished political clout, he has succeeded in maintaining a "complete control" over the police.

(With agency input)