Prashant Kishor cited the current abrasion between Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and the BJP over ‘Agnipath’ demonstrators’ attacks on BJP officials’ homes in Bihar.
New Delhi: Prashant Kishor, an election strategist, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the new military recruiting plan ‘Agnipath,’ particularly the violent protests in Bihar, where the BJP and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) are in an alliance.
Mr Kishor, whom Mr Kumar fired as his party’s No. 2 in 2020, referred to new squabbles between the two alliance partners following attacks on BJP officials’ residences in Bihar by ‘Agnipath’ demonstrators.
Mr Kishor tweeted, “For Agnipath, there should be agitation, not violence and sabotage. The people of Bihar are bearing the brunt of the conflict between JDU (Janata Dal United) and BJP. Bihar is burning and the leaders of both the parties are busy sparring and counter-alleging each other instead of solving the matter.”
#Agnipath पर आंदोलन होना चाहिए, हिंसा और तोड़फोड़ नहीं।
बिहार की जनता #JDU और #BJP के आपसी तनातनी का ख़ामियाज़ा भुगत रही है। बिहार जल रहा है और दोनों दल के नेता मामले को सुलझाने के बजाए एक दूसरे पर छींटाकशी और आरोप प्रत्यारोप में व्यस्थ हैं।
— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) June 19, 2022
Bihar’s BJP head, whose home was vandalized by ‘Agnipath’ demonstrators, slammed the Nitish Kumar government yesterday for insufficient measures to quell the state’s violent riots. Protesters also vandalized the home of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi and several BJP offices.
According to the Bihar BJP chief, “When we phoned the fire department, they said fire engines will only come if the local administration officer authorizes it,” an agitated Mr Jaiwal told reporters yesterday, referring to state officials’ failure to prevent the attack on Friday at his home in Bihar’s Bettiah town. “We are part of the state government alliance, but anything like this has never happened in the country before; it is only occurring in Bihar. As a BJP leader, I deplore this incident; if it is not stopped, it will be detrimental to everyone.”
Mr Kumar’s party took the BJP leader’s stern warnings seriously. Rajiv Ranjan, a JD(U) MP, slammed the alliance partner for excessively blaming the JD(U) for the protests.
“The central government made a choice. Protests are also taking place in other states. Young people are worried about their future, so they protested. Of course, violence is not the solution. We will not tolerate violence. However, the BJP should also pay attention to what these young people are concerned about. The BJP, on the other hand, is criticizing the administration. What would the government do?” In a video statement, Mr Ranjan added, “a frustrated BJP is blaming the administration for its inability to restrain the rage of the demonstrators.”
Meanwhile, protests persist in certain states, with the strongest being in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Bihar. The centre has declared several compromises amid the protests. There will be a 10% quota in Defence Ministry occupations, which will include Coast Guard and civilian defense positions, as well as all 16 defense public sector businesses. This reservation would be in addition to the existing veterans’ reservation.
On top of that, the government announced a 10% reservation for ‘Agnives’ in the Central Armed Police Forces, or CAPFs, and the Assam Rifles, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Defence Ministry.
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