Nitish betrayed socialist ideals: RJD state chief
Madhubani: During his first visit to home district after assuming charge as the
RJD
state president, Mangani Lal Mandal on Saturday launched a scathing attack on CM
Nitish Kumar
and his govt.
Addressing a large gathering of party leaders, MPs, MLAs and supporters at a reception event held near Rampatti Jail on Saturday, Mandal accused the Nitish-led govt of betraying the ideals of socialist icons such as Ram Manohar Lohia and Karpoori Thakur over the past two decades.
He alleged that the govt had reduced marginalised communities, including mahadalits, dalits and extremely backward classes (EBCs) to mere vote banks, using deceptive policies and schemes while denying them dignity and rights. Mandal criticised the govt for rising crime, corruption and administrative oppression, claiming that the voices of ordinary people were being silenced and the issues of the poor overlooked.
Praising RJD leader
Tejashwi Prasad Yadav
, Mandal commended his efforts to unify society and bring marginalised groups into the mainstream. He accepted the party's mandate as a challenge, vowing to form a govt in 2025 that would represent the poor, labourers and oppressed communities. He added that the new administration would focus on employment, education, healthcare and the empowerment of weaker sections.
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Arlekar contested the 1991 Lok Sabha elections but didn't win. In 1994, we won four out of 40 seats in the Assembly. It was historic. In 1999, it became 10,' Sadanand Tanavade, a former Goa BJP president and a close friend of Arlekar, told ThePrint. Tanavade added that Arlekar's popularity also grew during his days in active politics as he led several agitations against then ruling Congress' alleged corrupt practices. Arlekar officially joined the BJP in 1989 and served the organisation in various roles since then. His father Vishwanath Arlekar was a state president of the Jan Sangh, the BJP precursor. Although he lost in his first attempt, Arlekar was elected MLA in 2002. In 2012, he was elected the speaker of the Goa Assembly and served for three years. 'He was the first speaker who ran the Assembly entirely in Konkani. He used to speak entirely in Konkani when he was presiding over the Assembly,' Tanavade said. 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Their apparent bonhomie suggested a peaceful relationship between the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led state government and the Raj Bhavan, a welcome change from what it was when Arlekar's predecessor Arif Mohammed Khan was in office. However, the situation changed in earlier this month, 5 June to be precise. On Environment Day, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad boycotted an event at the Raj Bhavan over the display of a Bharat Mata portrait. Later, on 19 June, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty boycotted the Scouts and Guides Rajya Puraskar award ceremony, leaving the Raj Bhavan shortly after extending his wishes to the children and condemning the display of the image. The tussle escalated Wednesday as members of the CPI(M)'s Students Federation of India and the Congress' Kerala Students' Union protested outside the Kerala University where the governor had attended an event organised by a right-wing group that displayed the controversial image. The protests led to clashes as RSS-BJP supporters opposed them. About a month ago, Arlekar triggered a row by nominating 10 deans to the Kannur University, all from outside the university, in direct violation of the university statutes, which stipulate that deans must be professors from the university's own departments. Of the 10 people nominated, six were from institutions funded by the Union government, and the rest from outside the state. Subsequently, the Kannur University syndicate passed a resolution against the move. In December last year, while serving as Bihar governor, Arlekar sparked a row by saying that the British rulers left India not because of the freedom satyagraha but because they saw arms in the hands of native people. The comment drew criticism from opposition leaders who claimed the comments disrespected freedom fighters. Kerala BJP leader Anoop Antony Joseph claimed the ruling CPI(M) is trying to make it into controversy to distract from 'anti-incumbency' sentiment in the state and its loss in the recent Nilambur bypoll. 'It's also part of appeasement politics by both the LDF and UDF. The LDF doesn't have any development to show in the upcoming polls. So, it's easy for them to resort to religious appeasement. We saw the same in Nilambur by both LDF and UDF,' he told ThePrint. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: 'Bharat Mata' portrait pits LDF against Kerala Governor, again. 'Turning Raj Bhavan into party office'
