Bihar CM Nitish Kumar recalls being arrested at gunpoint during Emergency

Nitish Kumar’s statement came when he intervened during a reply by a minister to a question on police action in the state.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday stunned the state Legislative Council by revealing that he “faced arrest during Emergency, at gunpoint.”

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (Santosh Kumar / HT Photo)

Kumar intervened during a reply by minister in-charge for home affairs Bijendra Prasad Yadav to a starred question by Congress member Prem Chandra Mishra, who pressed for action against policemen guilty of violating the Bihar Police Manual in their dealing with demonstrators, to recount the incident that took place during Emergency.

The minister had refuted Mishra’s charge that the police had, in recent times, grown restless in their dealing with protestors, including women, and did not hesitate in hitting them on the head. The police always exercised restraint and only resorted to baton-charge when mob turned violent and crossed limits, he said, while pointing out how police displayed their high-handedness against them during Emergency.

The chief minister’s statement that he, as a student activist during the JP movement, had to undergo such action, was an endorsement of the minister’s rebuff to Mishra’s charge on police behaviour towards demonstrators.

While MIshra tried to hold his ground asking the minister whether he wanted to go the Congress way, which was voted out of power after Emergency, the chief minister’s intervention dissipated the heat.