Patna (Bihar), March 21: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has strongly condemned Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for reportedly talking and gesturing during the national anthem at a recent event, calling the incident “disrespectful” and expressing shame as a ‘Bihari.’ Yadav stated, “The Chief Minister is the leader of the state, and yesterday’s incident is very unfortunate. As a Bihari, I feel ashamed.”
Yadav further criticized the Bihar CM, declaring, “This is the first incident in the history of Indian politics that a Chief Minister has disrespected the national anthem. Nitish Kumar should apologize to the public of the nation. The leaders of BJP only do drama; where are the two deputy CMs of Bihar? Nitish Kumar should retire.”
RJD MLA and former Bihar CM Rabri Devi also joined the attack, questioning Nitish Kumar’s mental stability. “He is not mentally stable. We demand that he should make his son the Chief Minister if his mind is not working,” said Devi.
RJD MP Misa Bharti raised concerns about the Bihar CM’s health, both mental and physical, stating, “During the national anthem, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar did not look physically and mentally well. I want to ask PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah whether you found his mental state to be fine… He keeps insulting women, children every day… PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah should think in whose hands Bihar is.”
In a show of protest, RJD leader Mukesh Raushan demonstrated in Patna, demanding an apology from the Chief Minister. He said, “The CM should offer an apology for insulting the national anthem. He should be removed from the CM post, and President’s Rule should be imposed in the state. The CM is unwell, and he should be removed from the post. A case of treason should be filed against him.”
A video shared by RJD leaders shows Bihar CM Nitish Kumar engaging in conversation with an official and smiling while the national anthem was being played at the event. At one point, he was seen folding his hands in a namaskar toward someone in the audience.
Assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled for October this year, though the Election Commission has not yet announced the exact dates.