BJP attacks Nitish govt over baton charge on protesting job aspirants

The baton charge on protesting teaching job aspirants in Patna on Monday gave BJP leaders another opportunity to hit out at the Nitish Kumar government.

BJP Rajya Sabha member and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said: "Nitish Kumar promised to give 20 lakh jobs to the youths of Bihar but initiated a lathi (baton) charge on the aspirants. Nitish Kumar is Chief Minister of Bihar for 16 years and the Education Ministry comes under his party for majority of the time. Hence Nitish Kumar should admit that it is his failure for not providing jobs to youths."

"The job aspirants have genuine demand to notify the 7th phase of teacher recruitment. Instead of doing it, he is initiating lathi charge on them. The ADM who was involved in the barbaric lathi charge of an aspirant, should be suspended immediately," he added.

Patna ADM K.K. Singh, who was deployed as duty magistrate at Dak Bunglow Chowk on Monday, ordered the baton charge. He himself hit a protester who was holding the national flag with a baton, and dragged that aspirant and also hit the hand with which he was holding the flag.

Modi also said: "(Deputy Chief Minister) Tejashwi Yadav made the false promise during the 2020 Assembly election and took the votes of the people. After coming into power, three cabinet meetings have already been done but nothing has happened so far.

"As many as 4.5 lakh posts are vacant in the government sector and 5.5 lakh government jobs were to be created. What happened to it?"

Former Deputy Chief Minister Tar Kishore Prasad also targeted Nitish Kumar.

"Instead of giving jobs, Nitish Kumar initiated lathi charge on job aspirants. Is this your promise Sushashan Babu? You have promised 20 lakh jobs from Gandhi Maidan on independence day," Prasad said.

Meanwhile, Patna District Magistrate Chandrasekher Singh constituted a two members committee to investigate the ADM matter and submit the report in two days.

--IANS

ajk/vd