Manjhi stirs controversy again! Says didn’t help harassed girls to keep Yadav votes intact

Patna, Nov 18: Stirring yet another controversy, Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said that because of fear of losing votes, he was forced not to act against men who harassed a poor woman.

As per a TOI report, Manjhi recalled that way back in 1990, "One of my co-villager Lalji Manjhi came to me and complained that the powerful mukhiya, Tek Narain Yadav, had taken away his land at a throwaway price and after that trying to sexually harass his daughters. Despite being an MLA, I did not act against this mukhiya for fear of losing Yadav votes; they had a large presence in the assembly segment."

Manjhi added, "When I lost the assembly election in 1990, people were amused to see me laugh when my other castemen felt sorry for me. After much prodding, I told them I was laughing because I thought I had lost because I had not helped Lalji Manjhi against the mukhiya for fear of losing votes of Yadavs."

The CM the added, "I know my statement will trigger controversy and anger some of our political allies. Yet I am daring to express myself."

Manjhi who is known for stirring controversies, had few days back termed upper caste people as "foreigners and descendants of Aryan race", a remark for which the BJP has slammed him for "stoking caste tension" in the state.

"The upper caste people are foreigners and descendants of the Aryan race....they have come here from foreign countries," Manjhi had said at a function in Bettiah.

Only tribals and dalits are indigenous people," the Chief Minister claimed and asked them to educate themselves and imbibe political awareness to ensure that downtrodden sections could play a pivotal role in formation of governments in Bihar.

Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday categorically dismissed speculations about him joining the BJP. "Its 200 per cent false," Manjhi told reporters after "Janata Ke Darbar me Mukhya Mantri" programme.

Speculations about Manjhi joining BJP gained ground after his statement recently that he would turn a supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi if Modi gives special status to Bihar.

"I have said so many times that BJP is a communal party and I have always done politics remaining in a party whose party is secular. How can I ever think also of going to BJP?" he said and categorically dismissed any possibility.

OneIndia News