Patna,(BiharTimes): A day after his trip to Lucknow where a delegation of journalists’ union met him to demand immediate action against thouse involved in the killing of senior scribe Rajdeo Ranjan, chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday lost his cool when a reporter asked that the government functioning is suffering because of the focus on enforcing total prohibition.

Nitish, who never faced aggressive media in the first 10 years in office––save a brief interlude of Jitan Ram Manjhi rule––is of late facing uncomfortable and tough questions, especially after the total prohibition was imposed by his government.

As a section of media is critical of this policy the question came naturally. The chief minister, who too was in a combative mood, shot back: “Can you name even a single work that suffered since the enforcement of prohibition? Let’s debate it.”

Nitish did not stop there, but went on to say how strong the liquor lobby is in the country. What he implied was loud and clear.

He mixed his replies in English as well as Hindi and was upset when asked about the JD(U) MLC, Manorama Devi, who is still at large. He told the questioner pointblank that it is also the duty of the journalists to point out as to where is she hiding. He claimed that all out efforts are being made to nab those involved in the recent crimes.

On the allegation of opposition parties that people were being murdered as he was busy touring other states to realise his prime ministerial ambition, the Bihar chief minister said he had been out of the state for merely 100 hours since becoming the JD (U) president on April 10.

“I have the responsibility of a party... If anybody cites even one instance of governance being ignored due to my tours, I will apologise holding both my ears,” he retorted.

Nitish appeared distraught over the repeated reference to the return of Jungle Raj in Bihar. He dared the media to do an ‘impartial analysis’ of crime in Bihar and those in other states, especially the BJP-ruled ones like Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi, where the police is under the Union government.

“No one from you will spare time for an impartial analysis,” he said adding “there are some people for whom praiseworthy articles will be written even if they do not do anything, but I cannot get that kind of praise notwithstanding my sincere work.”

In the beginning of the Press Conference some journalists even suggested that a two-minute mourning should be observed as a mark of respect for Rajdeo Ranjan.