Thakur bats for CM Jitan Ram Manjhi on Patna stampede incident

Patna, Oct 8: Taking a line different from his party, senior BJP leader C P Thakur today came out in support of Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi saying he cannot be held responsible for the Dussehra stampede and should be given more time to acquaint himself with his job.

"Manjhi cannot be held responsible for the stampede incident which points to the failure of the system instead of an individual," Thakur told reporters here.

Thakur's remark assumes significance in the wake of another senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi slamming Manjhi for the stampede and asked the ruling JD(U) to appoint a new CM.

Without naming former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Thakur said such type of incidents did take place in the state capital in the past two years under a so-called "efficient" chief minister.

Thakur was referring to a stampede during Chhath festival two years ago in which 18 devotees were killed and a terror attack at an election rally of the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi last year in which eight people lost their lives.

The BJP leader said that Manjhi should be given more time to acquaint himself with his job.

"In any case, the JD(U) leadership is not going to remove Manjhi to please us," he said.

The BJP leader urged the government to introduce police commissionerate system in Patna to improve policing.

PTI