The biggest headache for chief minister Nitish Kumar is that most of the law-makers––MLAs as well as an MP––whose name figured in the recent incidents belong to the Janata Dal (United) and not of Rashtriya Janata Dal or Congress.

Though the BJP leaders, especially the former deputy CM, Sushil Kumar Modi, miss no opportunity to raise the fear of Jungle Raj and drag the name of Lalu Prasad, the truth is that at least in the first two months of the grand alliance government name of no big RJD leaders figured in any such unlawful activities––barring a relatively small incident in Bhojpur.

Thus it is more for SuMo to explain as to why he is targeting the RJD chief more than the chief minister and calling him “bechara” (helpless).

It would have been difficult for Nitish to come down heavily on Bima Bharati, Sarfaraz Alam, and Narendra Kumar Neeraj alias Gopal Mandal and Purnea MP, Santosh Kushwaha had they been RJD or even for that matter Congress leaders.

SuMo is deliberately trying to give a new twist to the whole episode by calling Nitish helpless. The truth is that all these people whom he is now targeting were his close friends till June 16, 2013.

They all were controversial personalities and have taken law into their hands several times in the past. But never did the BJP raised voice against them.

The saffron party never spoke anything against Anant Singh, when he was indulging in all sorts of illegal activities. Nor did it uttered a word against Sunil Pandey or Ulhas Pandey, though their Ranvir Sena connection was very much known. The name of the legislator brothers figured prominently in the murder of the chief of Ranvir Sena, Brahmeshwar Singh alias Mukhiyaji, on June 1, 2012. Both the BJP and JD(U) maintained complete silence when rampaging mob destroyed public property in Patna, Bihta and Ara.

But the moment the JD(U) and BJP parted ways the latter started calling all these Janata Dal (United) leaders criminals. And the moment the same people left JD(U) the saffron party would turn silent. For example, it is saying nothing against Anant Singh now.

So far JD(U) MP Santosh Kushwaha is concerned––his name also figured in Awadesh Mandal’s escape––the truth is that he is an newcomer in the party. In fact he is an old BJP hand and had been its MLA till 2014 when he crossed over to the JD(U) to contest Lok Sabha election. He defeated the sitting BJP MP, Uday Singh.

So all these figures are the remnants of the same old days of “good governance” (sushashan) between November 24, 2005 and June 16, 2013––when the BJP ministers were kicked out by Nitish Kumar.
The BJP, especially Sushil Kumar Modi, has perhaps not learnt any lesson from the recent election verdict. It lost it notwithstanding the fact that it raised the spectre of Jungle Raj and tried to blame Lalu for each and everything which go wrong.

No doubt there is nothing for Lalu or Rabri Devi to boast on law and order front, but the same is true for Nitish-SuMo team––barring a few initial months after November 24, 2005.

Everyone knows how BJP MLC Ashok Agrawal shot dead his own petrol pump employee in Katihar in 2012 and what led to the killing of sitting BJP MLA, Raj Kishore Kesari at the hands of Rupam Pathak on January 4, 2011.

Needless to repeat, it is now a well-known fact how crime and atrocities against women increased after the New Excise Policy was implemented in the state on July 1, 2007. The BJP remained a mute partner to Nitish all those years, but started opposing it once out of power.

If looked socially in the first two months at least no prominent Yadav name figured in these high-profile crime, nor any RJD leaders got embroiled in any such controversy. That is one reason why Lalu and his party’s vice president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh expressed concern over the law and order situation.
Jitan Ram Manjhi went a step ahead of the BJP and has demanded the imposition of President’s Rule. But is not it a fact that he, as CM, made Bima a minister in June 2014 when she was even unable to take oath properly.

The JD(U) under Nitish accommodated all the controversial figures of the outgoing Lalu-Rabri regime, but SuMo never objected to it. The BJP had no problem when Munna Shukla, Rajen Tiwary, Anand Mohan Singh, Suraj Bhan etc were allies. Pappu Yadav and Sadhu Yadav did not become saints when they get time by none else but Narendra Modi.

Suraj Bhan’s wife is still an LJP MP yet the BJP has no problem whatsoever. His name figured prominently after the murder of renowned Patna University Professoor Papiya Ghosh on December 6, 2006––at the peak of ‘Susashan’. Incidentally, this happened in the poshest of all the localities of the state capital––Patliputra Colony.

If it is a case of “ek hamman mein sab nange hain” (everyone is naked in a bath) why is SuMo adopting holier than thou approach.