In the Bihar Assembly, Nitish Kumar Attacks Former Chief Minister Jitan Manjhi for Questioning the Caste Survey

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar became enraged on Thursday and claimed that his “stupidity” had allowed his old protégé Jitan Ram Manjhi to become the state’s top official.

When Manjhi, who founded his own party Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and is now a member of the opposition BJP-led NDA, raised concerns about the state government’s caste census, Kumar made the statement in the legislature.

“He continues claiming that he was a chief minister once as well. My foolishness made him become a chief minister. Is there any sense in him? Mukhyamantri the hum bolta hai. Merely vajah se mukhyamantri bana, meri moorkhta. Isko koi sense hai),” Kumar cried out, raising a ruckus across the House.

It was seen that Kumar’s cabinet colleagues were pulling at his kurta, telling him to settle down and take a seat, but the 78-year-old refused to let up until he had given Manjhi a good chewing.

“Journalists should also know the complete facts,” he said. They continue to give this individual a great deal of notoriety.”

Kumar said to the BJP members who had stood up in protest, “This man has always wanted to stay in your company.” I had begged him to remain behind when I abandoned you a year ago, but he insisted on coming with me. He has since fled. His dream job would be governor. Please be kind to him.”

Speaking first, Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary said to the chief minister, “after all, he had become the chief minister only because of your benediction (kripa)” before the minister took his seat.

Shortly after, the House adjourned for the day. The day’s business included unanimously passed bills that increased the quotas for SCs, STs, EBCs, and OBCs from 50% to 65%. This brought the state’s total reservation to 75%, which included 10% of the economically weaker sections quota that the Center had introduced and put into effect in the state a few years prior.

Later, Manjhi told reporters outside the House, “I will file a complaint against the governor and the Union home minister about Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. I shall insist on his termination and the state’s implementation of President’s Rule. It was just a few days before that his comments on women had embarrassed the state. His persistent misbehavior demonstrates that he is no longer in a healthy mental condition, and he should not be allowed to occupy such a significant position.

BJP MLAs surrounded Manjhi on both sides as he spoke, expressing support for the head of the HAM and accusing Kumar of having “insulted a Dalit”.

Manjhi notably assumed the role of chief minister in May 2014 when Kumar resigned, taking moral responsibility for the JD(U)’s crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

But less than a year later, Manjhi resigned due to allegations that he was attempting to create a rift within the JD(U), which allowed Kumar to take back the chief ministership.

After that, Manjhi founded HAM and ran as an NDA candidate in the 2015 assembly elections. Manjhi defected to the Mahagathbandhan a few months after Kumar rejoined the BJP-led coalition in 2017, leaving the party with only the RJD and the Congress.

In 2020, Manjhi rejoined the NDA, and his son Santosh Suman was appointed as a minister while his party was granted seats to compete from the JD(U) quota.

When Kumar pulled another volte face last year, Manjhi did the same, which helped his son keep his ministership.

But in June of this year, Manjhi announced his resignation from the Mahagathbandhan and Suman resigned as a minister, citing pressure from Kumar to combine HAM with JD(U).