Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary says there is crime but no apraadh
The Chief Minister's remarks during a Delhi event have triggered a political row with the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary stated on Tuesday that while there may be crime in the state, there is no 'apraadh'. Speaking at an event organised by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Delhi, Choudhary said the concept of crime has been eliminated and there are no criminals in Bihar, according to reports by The Indian Express and Hindustan Times.
The remarks have drawn criticism from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) working president and Bihar assembly opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav. Sharing a video of the speech on X, Yadav questioned if Prime Minister Narendra Modi intended to ruin the state under Choudhary's leadership.
Yadav also questioned whether bureaucrats sitting on the stage with the Chief Minister felt honoured or humiliated. The RJD leader referred to a case from the 1990s in Munger where Choudhary was allegedly implicated in a matter involving seven murders. Choudhary has maintained that he was falsely implicated in that case.
Union Minister Chirag Paswan, whose party is part of the NDA alliance, declined to comment on the controversy but said Choudhary has a clear vision on crime control. Paswan, who heads LJP (Ram Vilas), stated he believes the Chief Minister, who also serves as Home Minister, must have facts and figures to support his claim.
Choudhary became the first BJP Chief Minister in Bihar after Nitish Kumar stepped back in April. Nitish Kumar is currently a Rajya Sabha MP, while his son, Nishant Kumar, serves as the state Health Minister.