Jitan Ram Manjhi defends voter list revision, attacks opposition over allegations

Patna, June 28 (IANS) Union Minister and senior NDA leader Jitan Ram Manjhi has strongly defended the voter list revision exercise in Bihar, stating that only those who fear exposure of bogus voters are objecting to the process.

Amid the opposition’s uproar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state, Manjhi asserted, "We know where bogus voters have been made. Somewhere 25,000, and at other places up to 30,000. When such fake names are removed, only those who are wrong will be afraid."

Targeting the leader of the opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, Union Minister Manjhi mocked the RJD leader's symbolic distribution of pens to students.

"Tejashwi claims he is distributing pens, but he is actually distributing swords. His father (Lalu Prasad) used to oil sticks, and Tejashwi should follow in his footsteps," he said.

Union Minister Manjhi dismissed Tejashwi's demand for 20 months of power, calling it unjustified and asserting that he would not get anything.

The leader reminded the public of the law and order situation during Lalu Prasad's tenure.

"There was jungleraj during the rule of Tejashwi's father, which the people of Bihar know very well. Even today, RJD people have occupied 70 per cent of the land, and most crimes, rapes, and murders happening in the state are committed by them," Jitan Ram Manjhi said.

He warned that if the RJD returns to power even for 10 months, the law and order situation in Bihar would worsen.

On AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's remark that the Centre is quietly implementing NRC in Bihar, Manjhi refrained from commenting, saying, "We cannot say anything about him."

On seat sharing, he maintained, "Union Minister Chirag Paswan is working towards strengthening the NDA. The NDA leadership will decide on seat sharing in the state Assembly polls."

On the recent crime against a woman in West Bengal, Union Minister Manjhi criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, claiming that law and order there has collapsed and demanded that she should take moral responsibility and resign.

--IANS

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