It’s official, Nitish Kumar is the leader of Jungle Raj 2.0 in Bihar

• 14 people have been arrested by Bihar police for allegedly killing a police constable
• According to reports, these people had set the police station on fire after one of the villagers was found dead in police custody
• The law-and-order scenario in Bihar is going back towards the 90s, establishing Jungle Raj 2.0

When Nitish Kumar came to power in 2005, the people of Bihar expected him to usher in some big-ticket changes. 17 years down the line, Nitish Kumar has emerged as a leader of Jungle Raj 2.0.

Police constable killed

Amidst continuously declining law and order in the state, one particular incident has shown that not even police personnel are not safe in Nitish’s Bihar. A policeman has been killed in the Bettiah district of state. According to a report by Hindustan Times, he was killed when a mob attacked the police station alleging that the police force had killed a youth in the police station.

A youth named Amrit Yadav was taken into custody by Balthar Police station. According to the police, Amrit violated a prohibitory order asking everyone not to play songs on DJ. Later, villagers got the news that he died in custody. According to Kanhaiya Yadav, Amrit’s brother, police beat Amrit to death. “After he died, the policemen fled from the police station, setting the vehicles on fire themselves,” said Kanhaiya

Custodial death angered the mob

However, Bettiah SP has claimed that Amrit did not die in custody. According to him, a swarm of bees attacked Amrit whilst he was in the police station. “He was taken to the hospital but died. Bees also emerged from his ear cavity,” said the SP.

Meanwhile, as soon as the news of the death of Amit spread to locals, they allegedly attacked the police station. Detailing the incident, Kundan Kumar, a sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Narkatiaganj said, “A furious mob attacked the police station in which one policeman died, while three others were injured. The trouble makers also set six vehicles on fire which include three police vehicles and one of the fire brigades, besides two private vehicles,”

According to the police, Ram Jatan Rai, a constable in neighbouring Prushottampur police station died in the scuffle. 3 other police personnel were injured and are now availing treatment. Meanwhile, the administration has arrested 14 people for attacking the police station, while no arrest has been made concerning Amrit’s death.

High profile killings in Bihar

This is hardly a single case of law-and-order machinery breakdown in Bihar. In September 2020, Sameer Kumar, a former mayor of Muzaffarpur District was roasted with AK-47 bullets in a publicly open space. In January 2021, Rupesh Kumar Singh, an Indigo airlines employee was shot dead by unidentified bikers.

In December 2021, it was alleged that the DSP of Saharsha had killed an influential individual named Pappu Dev in police custody. High profile killings have become more common than ever in Bihar.

Nitish brought back the Jungle Raj

Beneath these high-profile killings, lies a plethora of unsolved criminal cases in Nitish’s Bihar. The problem was exacerbated by Nitish Kumar’s political thrust for power as in 2015, he gave RJD a chance to revive itself from the shambles. It was the moment that hibernated mafias had been waiting for the last 10 years.

The crime rate suddenly spiked which forced Nitish to ditch RJD in 2017. However, the damage had been done and miscreants were not willing to listen to anyone.

Nitish’s irrationality is hurting Bihar

One of the most prominent reasons for the high crime rate in Bihar is the prevalence of unemployment in the state. The problem was exacerbated by Nitish Kumar’s liquor ban in the state. This irrational policy has led to more damage than it was intended to stop.

People are anyway buying cheap and poor-quality alcohols, leading to loss of lives as well as livelihoods. On the other hand, the government is losing out on revenues as well, crippling the state administration’s ability to control law and order.

BJP’s indifferent attitude

The apathy of the BJP is also hurting the people of Bihar. The party is a coalition partner in the state but acts as if Nitish Kumar is omnipotent and it has no power to influence the Bihar government’s policies. Nitish and BJP have collided on multiple issues, but it never resulted in a change in stance from Nitish’s side.

At a time when globalisation is in decline due to increasing Internet penetration, the people of Bihar are forced to leave their homeland in search of better opportunities. This is pathetic and BJP should now take an initiative to curtail declining law and order.