JD(U) Rebukes BJP Leader’s Comparison of Bihar’s Law and Order to Pakistan

Patna, August 22, 2023: The ruling Janata Dal (United) in Bihar has strongly criticized senior BJP leader Sanjay Jaiswal for drawing a comparison between the state’s law and order situation and that of Pakistan. Jaiswal’s recent remark, where he alleged that Bihar’s condition had deteriorated to a point worse than Pakistan, sparked outrage within the political arena.

In response, JD(U) Chief Spokesperson Neeraj Kumar questioned the appropriateness of such a comparison, asserting, “How can a BJP leader compare Bihar’s law and order with a country like Pakistan? Are they (BJP) agents of Pakistan? I must say that India has been at its worst during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule and is lagging behind Pakistan on various factors.” Kumar further accused BJP leaders of insulting Bihar’s democratic essence by juxtaposing it with Pakistan, where democratic principles allegedly hold little ground.

Kumar went on to emphasize that India’s performance in domains such as press freedom ranking, the world happiness index, global hunger index, and global competitiveness index are below par compared to Pakistan. Moreover, referring to the Gallup Law and Order Index for 2021, he highlighted that India’s position in terms of law and order is reportedly lower than Pakistan’s.

Jaiswal’s criticism of the state government’s handling of law and order stemmed from an incident in Bettiah, Bihar, where Pakistani slogans were reportedly raised and green flags waved on August 15. Responding to Kumar’s remarks, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Nityanand Rai criticized the RJD-JD(U) alliance government for what he perceived as their inability to manage the deteriorating law and order situation.

Rai’s statement added, “Statements of JD(U) leaders are an insult to the country. In fact, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar indirectly wants his leaders to raise slogans in favor of Pakistan.” Rai challenged the alliance leaders to explain their “love” for Pakistan and China.

The verbal exchange between the two parties ignited a war of words, underscoring the growing polarization and tension surrounding the law and order discourse in Bihar.