Prashant Kishor on Agnipath protests: 'Bihar bearing brunt of BJP-JDU conflict' | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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Prashant Kishor on Agnipath protests: 'Bihar bearing brunt of BJP-JDU conflict'

Written by Shubhangi Gupta | Edited by Poulomi Ghosh, New Delhi
Jun 19, 2022 12:28 PM IST

Bihar has been seeing some of the most violent protests in the country against the government's contentious short-term recruitment plan for soldiers.

As protests against the government's ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme escalated across the country, political strategist Prashant Kishor on Sunday spoke against the use of violence and sabotage that Bihar has been witnessing for the past three days as armed forces aspirants torched trains and railway stations, hurting a few police personnel too.

Political strategist Prashant Kishor. (PTI)
Political strategist Prashant Kishor. (PTI)

Bihar has been seeing some of the most violent protests in the country against the government's contentious short-term recruitment plan for soldiers. In a bid to control the law and order situation, the internet was suspended in 12 districts of Bihar on Saturday as the protests in the state intensified.

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Prashant Kishor, who was sacked by Nitish Kumar from his party in 2020, said in a tweet in Hindi, “There should be agitation against Apnipath, not violence and sabotage.” He also attacked the ruling allies in Bihar – the JD(U) and the BJP – for pointing fingers at each other as the state burns.

“The people of Bihar are bearing the brunt of the conflict between #JDU and #BJP . Bihar is burning and the leaders of both the parties are busy sparring and counter-alleging each other instead of solving the matter,” he said.

His remarks came after a fresh war of words broke out between the BJP and the JD(U), with the former holding the Nitish Kumar government responsible for its "inability to stop attacks" on the residences of saffron party leaders.

On Saturday, Bihar's BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal, whose house was vandalised by 'Agnipath' protesters, had criticised the state government, alleging that its effort was "inadequate" to stop violent protests in the state. He held the Nitish Kumar-led coalition government responsible for what he termed as targeted attacks on BJP leaders in the state.

Bihar deputy chief minister Renu Devi's house and several BJP offices were also vandalised by the protesters on June 17.

The state BJP chief said “targeting people at the behest of the administration and torching offices of a particular party with police as mute spectators are unacceptable”.

"We are part of the ruling alliance, but something like this has not happened anywhere in the country. It is happening only in Bihar. As a leader of the BJP, I condemn this incident and if this is not stopped, it won't be good for anyone," he said.

Reacting to Jaiswal’s comment, JD(U)'s national chief Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh, said, “The central government took a decision. There are protests in other states too. Young people are concerned about their future, so they came out to protest. Of course violence is not the way. We can't accept violence. But the BJP should also listen to what is worrying these young people and their concerns. Instead, the BJP is blaming the administration," Ranjan said in a video.

"What has the administration got to do with all this? A frustrated BJP is blaming the administration over its inability to contain the anger of the agitators. Protests against this scheme are taking place in several BJP-ruled states also. Why is Jaiswal not talking about the inaction of security forces in BJP-ruled states ?" asked Singh.

(With agency inputs)

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