The National Crime Records Bureau has released its data for the year 2018. The National Crime Records Bureau, abbreviated to NCRB, is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws (SLL). NCRB is headquartered in New Delhi and is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India. The agency releases yearly data for public consumption.
Among the other important observations made in the 2018 crime data, Bihar offers a rather strange picture. In the ‘Political Violence’ category, Bihar is ranked only second to West Bengal. Of the 54 political murders in 2018, 12 were recorded in West Bengal, followed by 9 in Bihar.
While we are all aware of the political killings which occur in West Bengal, under the protection of TMC and Mamata Didi, Bihar’s rank comes as a surprise to many, who were taken by the narrative of Nitish Kumar and his success in cleaning the mess in the state. The startling data suggests that contrary to public opinion about Nitish Kumar, he has not been able to stop the menace of political killings in Bihar. Had it not been for the TMC regime in Bengal, Bihar would have topped the list of political killings.
While it is understandable that during JD(U)’s stint with Lalu, the latter might not have allowed Nitish Kumar to undertake a crackdown against political killings, however, now that Nitish is in alliance with the BJP, there is possibly no excuse behind which he can hide. Nitish Kumar must explain to the people of Bihar as to why he has failed to deliver on multiple grounds as the Chief Minister. While half of his tenure was wasted in mere political adjustments, it is the people of Bihar who face the brunt of political killings.
The BJP too has much to explain on this count. Why has the BJP been entertaining a political opportunist for so long? Moreover, what’s the point of the BJP being in power along with Nitish in Bihar if it cannot control the crime rate in the state. Political killings remind us of the Lalu era. If the JD(U)-BJP alliance has not been able to overcome that era, it really speaks volumes as to how they have collectively failed the people of Bihar, for which they will soon be held accountable.