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Pappu Yadav’s arrest in 32-yr-old case lights up a huge political row in Bihar
Leaders of two NDA constituents in Bihar, Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) - they have four MLAs each in the assembly - have also flayed the government for arresting Pappu Yadav
The arrest of Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) founder and former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav in a 32-year-old case has sparked off a huge political storm in Bihar with the opposition targeting the Nitish Kumar government the arrest and two leaders in Bihar’s ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) questioning the timing of the police action.
Yadav was initially detained by the Patna Police on Tuesday on charges of violating lockdown norms during his visit to Patna Medical College and Hospital and then taken into custody in a 32-year-old kidnapping case registered in Madhepura.
Opposition leaders said Yadav was on the government’s radar ever since he claimed to have found 24 ambulances parked at BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy’s Saran residence. Yadav claimed that the ambulances had been purchased from funds made available from the Member of Parliament Local Area Development scheme.
Former health minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav took to Twitter to criticise the JAP leader’s arrest, saying that Bihar appeared to treat thieves well but put away people who caught the thieves. Former minister Shyam Rajak said it was clear that the government could not tolerate anyone who criticised it.
Leaders of the Congress and the CPI (ML) have also been unsparing in their criticism over the timing of the arrest and demanded his early release.
Leaders of two NDA constituents in Bihar, Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) - they have four MLAs each in the assembly - have also flayed the government for arresting Yadav after he exposed what his supporters say were flaws in the state’s Covid management.
Former chief minister and HAM-S leader Jitan Ram Manchi tweeted that the action against a leader, who had been working for people’s welfare day in and day out during the pandemic, was dangerous for humanity. “There should be a judicial inquiry of the case in which Yadav has been arrested,” said Manjhi on Twitter.
VIP chief and minister Mukesh Sahni said he had no intention to interfere with the judicial process “but this is not the time to settle political scores”. All parties should unite and fight the pandemic for saving humanity,” said Sahni, adding that the government should also inquire into causes that led to unauthorised parking of ambulances at Rudy’s residences.
BJP MLC Rajnish Kumar also described the JAP leader’s arrest as unfortunate and demanded his immediate release. JDU leader and former minister Monazir Hassan slammed the government. “Yadav was helping people to fight Covid by arranging medicines and oxygen to critical patients,” said Hassan.
