Controversial Manjhi: Protests in JD(U) as Bihar CM's upper castes remark intensifies

By PTI

Updated: Friday, November 14, 2014, 15:42 [IST]

Patna, Nov 14: Protests within the ruling JD(U) over Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's controversial remarks that the upper caste people were foreigners intensified today with another legislator seeking removal of Manjhi as CM.

A day after Mokamah JD(U) MLA Anant Singh sought Manjhi removal, another party MLA from Tarari in Bhojpur district Sunil Pandey voiced strong protest against Manjhi's remarks and demanded his immediate removal from the post of chief minister.

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JD(U) national leadership have also expressed displeasure over the controversial remarks of Manjhi. "JD(U) President Sharad Yadav has expressed displeasure over Manjhi comment on upper castes origin," JD(U) General Secretary K C Tyagi told PTI over phone from Delhi.

"Manjhi was chosen to take Nitish Kumar's roadmap of development of Bihar forward...but instead of doing that Manjhi seems more interested in rewriting history by tracing origin of upper castes and condition of wives of armymen who remain out of home for years," Tyagi said.

"He (Manjhi) is no more capable of running government...he shall be removed from the post immediately," Pandey told PTI. Pandey demanded calling of Legislature party meeting for choosing a new leader in place of Manjhi. "People had given mandate to Nitish Kumar and not Jitan Ram Manjhi. Hence he shall be removed without any loss of time in view of his irresponsible utterances," he said.

Meanwhile, a case was today filed against Manjhi in a Bettiah district court against his controversial remarks on origin of upper castes. A social activist Sanjay Kumar Mishra filed a complaint case against Manjhi in the court of Bettiah Chief Judicial Magistrate Raj Kishore Pandey.

The CJM admitted the complaint and referred it to court of First Class Judicial Magistrate R K Rai for hearing which will take place on December 10. JD(U) MLA from Barbigha Gajanand Shahi also criticised Manjhi's remarks on upper castes. "Its a unceremonious comment. Such remarks will harm the party," Shahi said.

PTI