Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the recent years. Lalu Yadav being held guilty in more than one charges of corruption by the judiciary to his sons committing verbal and political blunders every now and then, RJD has seen it all. It wouldn’t be too wrong to say that RJD has become the latest victim of the acts of its leaders. The legacy which RJD left behind in Bihar was anarchy and a caste based toxic political environment which exists even till date in the state. Lalu Yadav’s two sons, the literature genius Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, the failed cricketer, have taken command of the opposition in Bihar. They believe in sending out strong messages to the centre and the state leadership, heavy on words but mostly bereft of any meaning. They commit political blunders every other week, like threatening to skin PM Modi alive for downgrading their father’s security from Z+ to Z. Much was expected from them by the people of Bihar, but they have failed them too. Recently leaders from RJD were booked under the POCSO act by the police.
A team was sent to Gaya on June 16th by the RJD leader to learn about the problems faced by a minor girl who was raped. The team constituted of a number of RJD leaders, including its sitting MLA and a former MP and a minister who committed a blunder. They forced the girl to repeat her ordeals in full public view which she had faced while they recorded her narration. This led to the victim’s identity being released and caused humiliation for the girl and her family. This was in clear violation of the POCSO act which is committed to protecting the identity of the victim. The team was also found guilty of interfering with the police probe.
FIR was lodged against the members of the team which had gone to Gaya at the Medical College police station. The FIR lodged specifically mentions that the team members are accused of preparing a video footage of the girl after forcing her out of the police vehicle and making her narrate her ordeal in full public view. This utterly disgusting behavior which must have made the girl relive her ordeal once again is worthy of anger and condemnation. The leaders of RJD must be taught a lesson about decency and privacy by the law and the citizens of Bihar. Their acts not only breached POCSO Act and various penal provisions including interfering with the police investigation and preventing them from discharging their duty but has also brought much humiliation for the girl and her family. All these facts must be taken into account before deciding the punishment for the crime.
While it is true that nothing much can be expected from the successors of Lalu Yadav’s throne, it is utterly shocking how they lack even common sense and basic etiquette. They went to learn about a crime and committed a crime themselves. These people unfortunately are the ones who are going to be our leaders and lawmakers of tomorrow. They had probably done it to get some political mileage if there existed any, but their lack of empathy made the whole proceedings a problem for the girl and her family. If left unchecked, RJD under Tej Pratap and Tejashwi could well become a problem for Bihar just like it had once been under Lalu Yadav.
