Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, January 15
Even as Bihar’s capital city was hit by cold waves that brought down mercury considerably, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s temperature soared as he vented his fury on the media persons.
Nitish Kumar is known for maintaining protocol before the officers but lost his temper before the media persons at R Block here on Friday when temperature went down to 9 degrees and chilly winds made everyone shiver. He accused the media persons of demoralising the police.
The Chief Minister was visibly upset when reporters asked questions about failure of the police to control crime and tracking the killers of Indigo station manager Rupesh Kumar Singh, who was gunned down just 200 metres away from CM bungalow. Nitish called the question absurd, wrong and inappropriate. He claimed Bihar ranked 23rd in the crime graph in the country.
When reporters repeatedly asked him about the progress of the investigation of the murder case, Kumar suggested talking to the DG of police. All media persons in chorus told CM that “your DGP does not respond to the calls of the media persons. You can also try throughout mobile numbers.”
Alleging that the conduct was demoralising the police force, the Chief Minister lashed that the journalists raising queries were followers of the 15 years rule of Pati-Patni (Lalu-Rabri) in Bihar. “Do you remember the period of Pati-Patni, when violence, murder, rapes were common. Why do not write and expose the happenings of the 15 years?”
He also accused the reporter of a news channel supporting the Pati-Patni Raj without naming Lalu or Rabri Devi. This infuriated the media persons further who strongly refuted the charge of Chief Minister and in presence of the ministers and officers fumed that “Mr Chief Minister, you are giving lectures (bhashan de rahe hain).”
Nitish said he has asked the police to arrest the killers of the Indigo executive immediately and arrange their speedy trial. When CM-Media exchanges were going on, report came in of another day-light murder under Sultanganj police station where a businessman was shot dead near Gulbi Ghat.
Nitish later talked to the DGP, S K Singhal over mobile of one of his officers and asked him to respond to the calls of the media persons and if he was busy, he should nominate one of his men to talk to the media and inform them about the latest developments in investigations.
Within an hour of CM’s instructions, DG police released a press note giving details of the landline and mobile number on which he can be contacted by the media persons.
Leader of opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav shared the video of war of words between the chief minister and media and questioned “Is it necessary to be a supporter of BJP or Nitish Kumar to survive in journalism in Bihar.”
