Nitish attacks RJD for questioning his prohibition policy

Dr K K Kaushik

Samastipur : JD (U) National President and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar while addressing a public meeting at village Jhakra under Sarairanjan block in Samastipur district on December 16, 2017, during his Vikas Samiksha Yatra launched an indirect attack on the RJD saying he was surprised to see that those who had earlier supported his decision to enforce prohibition in the state in April 2016 were now speaking against it. Nitish completed the first phase of his Vikas Samiksha Yatra on December 16.

Nitish said, “I am surprised to see that those who had joined me in the human chain which we formed in January 2017 to create awareness about prohibition have suddenly started finding fault with the Nitish prohibition policy.”

The RJD was a constituent of Grand Alliance government headed by Nitish Kumar that had enforced prohibition in Bihar. RJD Chief Lalu Prasad stood next to Nitish at Patna Gandhi Maidan during formation of a human chain in support of prohibition on January 21, 2017. Now in opposition, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his son Tejaswi Yadav, Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, have been making scathing attack on Nitish Kumar on liquor policy.

Nitish said the prohibition has transformed our society and domestic violence has gone down. The people are spending more on their children’s education. Fruits of rapid economic growth, which the state has been experiencing for many years, is not being wasted on a bad habit, the CM claimed. He said social evils must be targeted and that is why we have launched a campaign against child marriage and dowry. Child marriage is detrimental to the health of women, the CM said. He said the anxiety of arranging dowry often forces parents to marry off their daughters at a young age.

The chief minister urged the people to boycott such marriage ceremonies where dowry is taken. The parties concerned will feel ashamed, he said. Nitish said he would not attend any marriage function where it is not stated clearly on the invitation cards that the ceremony will be performed without any dowry.

Earlier, Nitish visited village Kamalpur in Darbhanga district where he awarded a memento to Rinki Kumari, 14, who resisted her parents’ attempt to get her married at the tender age.