Bihar government fails to provide protection to women: Tejashwi Yadav

Patna: RJD national president and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, has accused the Bihar government of failing to protect women, saying that crimes against women are continuously increasing in the state and the government is failing to control the culprits.

Tejashwi Yadav, while targeting the government of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during a press conference in Patna on Tuesday, said that criminals who have been flourishing under the protection of power have now become a symbol of fear for the mothers, sisters, and daughters of the state. He said that after the formation of the new government, there has been a surge in incidents of crimes against women, creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among ordinary women.

Referring to various crimes that have taken place in the state, he said that despite the Chief Minister having the home department, there is no fear of law among the criminals. He said that the government is only making claims, while the ground reality is exactly the opposite. Tejashwi Yadav said that the government has been in power for just a month, but even in this short period, several incidents of crimes against women have come to the fore.

Commenting on the political situation in Bihar, he said that within six months, the Chief Minister of the state has been changed twice. The people's elected Chief Minister was removed and a "selected Chief Minister" was given power, which has weakened democratic values.

Tejashwi Yadav, questioning the government's claims of empowering women, said that about 65% of women in Bihar are still suffering from serious health problems like anemia. He said that if the health, safety, and dignity of women are not secure, then all the claims of the government are meaningless.

He also raised questions about police encounters, alleging that actions are being taken in Bihar based on caste. He sarcastically said that the government first looks at the caste of the affected woman and then the caste of the accused, and then decides on the action to be taken.

The RJD leader, referring to the Balika Grah case, said that why strict action is not being taken against the real culprits in the case. He also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (United) of misleading women in the name of election promises. Tejashwi Yadav said that a promise was made to give Rs 2 lakh to women, but this promise has not been fulfilled yet.