Patna
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Sunday alleged the liquor lobby was conspiring to dislodge him and helping opposition. Addressing poll meetings at Madhubani, Darbhanga, Vaishali and Muzaffarpur, he claimed a section of society was unhappy with his decision to enforce prohibition and wanted him to vote him out.
Nitish said a campaign was launched against him by the liquor lobby and opposition leaders were promising revival of liquor trade and consumption. Total prohibition was imposed in Bihar on April 5, 2016 and over 3.5 lakh arrests have been made since then for violating prohibition laws and illicit liquor sale.
Meanwhile, speaking at Jagdishpur in Bhojpur, LJP chief Chirag Paswan claimed alcohol ban has failed and illicit liquor was widely being sold. He alleged the CM too received kickbacks from the illicit liquor trade.
Leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav and Congress leader Shakti Singh Gohil, too, announced if the Grand Alliance was voted to power, it would review total prohibition and may resume its business. Even HAM(S) president and former CM Jeetan Ram Manjhi in his speeches is assuring people liquor ban would be lifted as the poor were the worst hit due to prohibition.
Nitish had to face hostility of people at Kanti in Muzaffarpur on Sunday when people started shouting pro-Lalu slogans. CM silenced them by chiding they were agents of the opposition.
He said: “You people are quite young. You are not aware what happened 15 years back in the state. Go and ask your mother who could not come out of her home after sunset."
He said the younger generation should be told about the Jungle Raj in Bihar when Lalu-Rabri rule prevailed. "When one was jailed, he imposed his wife on the “gaddi of Bihar” ruining the state further.
The CM in his speeches attacked Tejashwi and his parents. He remained silent on LJP and Chirag Paswan in particular. Speaking at Alauli in Khagaria district, hometown of Ram Vilas Paswan, he was silent on LJP and Chirag.
But Chirag is attacking Nitish in all his meetings and interviews and even threatening to prosecute him on corruption charges. "Nitish Kumar and his officers will be behind bars if we come to power," he said, adding, "Alcohol ban in Bihar has failed. Illicit liquor is widely being sold and Nitish Kumar is receiving kickbacks."
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