Bahujan Samaj Party leads massive protest against Nitish Kumar government in Bihar

Bihar— In a bold political move, the Bahujan Samaj Party has launched an aggressive protest against the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar. 
The BSP, which has been highly critical of the recent decision to release criminal-turned-politician, has demanded a rethinking of the government's policies by amending the Jail Manual. 

The protest, which started early in the morning on 10th May, in Patna city, saw a massive turnout, with protesters marching from Kargil Chowk, Gandhi Maidan to Raj Bhawan. Along with their primary demand, BSP also pushed for the handover of leased land that has been allotted to the people and the release of innocent members of the Pasi community who have been imprisoned under the stringent anti-liquor law.

In a potent show of resistance, people rallied together in protest against the recent murders of Pankaj Paswan, Kailash Paswan, and Munna Paswan in Nawada and Nalanda. Demands for justice were amplified, with the most resounding request being the apprehension of Anand Mohan, the jailed politician who was recently released by the government.

BSP leaders lambast the government 

Bhim Rajbhar, the state in-charge, declared the protest as one for the history books, citing the group's fervent demand for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to rescind the decision to release Anand Mohan. He was joined by Lalji Medhwankar, the state in-charge of the party in Bihar, who echoed the call to action and denounced the rampant incidents of Dalit atrocities across the state. 

Speaking to media, Lalji Medhwankar, said , “ Our protest is against the release of Anand Mohan and also the Dalit atrocities which takes place in different districts of the state ". He also said that “ Little girls are beaten by teachers when they try to paste pictures of Baba Saheb Ambedkar in schools.” 

In a candid statement to the media, Shankar Mahto, the State President of the Party, shared the frustrations of the group who, despite traveling throughout the state, saw little evidence of any work related to social justice under the ruling government.

He called attention to specific incidents such as the murder of Rakesh Paswan in Lalganj, as well as the alarming issue of scholarships being denied to students from marginalized communities. However, the most pressing issue, according to Mahto, was the release of the murderers of G. Krishnaih who was brutally killed in Muzaffarnagar district. Mahto also extended his gratitude to Mayawati, the BSP Chief for lending her voice to the cause on social media.

Anand Mohan controversy 

The controversial release of Anand Mohan, who happens to be the father of sitting RJD MLA Chetan Anand, has raised many eyebrows. Nitish Kumar amended the Jail Manual, allowing the early release of Mohan, who had been accused of the murder of IAS officer G. Krishanaih, a native of Andhra Pradesh, now Telangana. Interestingly, BSP Supremo Mayawati, who vocally opposed the release of Mohan, addressed a rally in Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, this past Sunday.

BSP: Trying to get foothold in the state

The Bahujan Samaj Party has had a varying history in Bihar. In 2000, the party secured five seats in the state, but over the years, the number slowly dwindled until it hit zero in 2010. However, the party made a slight resurgence in 2020 when Ambika Prasad and Zama Khan won seats in Ramgarh and Chayanpur, respectively. Supporters of the BSP see the issue of Anand Mohan's release as an opportunity to amplify their message and potentially increase their vote share in the state.

The BSP demands :

1. Rethinking over the decision to release the criminals by amending the Jail Manual

2. Handover of the allotted  leased land to the people 

3. Exempting the people of pasi community from the anti-liquor law and releasing the innocent people who have been jailed under the law