New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) The Congress and the Samajwadi Party, on Friday, criticised Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary over his ‘ask caste’ remark regarding encounters in the state. However, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) hit back, asserting criminals don’t have any caste.

Taking a jibe at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s allegation that “caste-based encounters” were being carried out in Bihar, CM Choudhary had said: “Some people are now saying that if a police encounter happens, the police should first ask about the caste of the criminal. I would tell the police personnel — fine, ask their caste first and then fire.”

Responding to the same, Congress leader Surendra Rajput stated that the Bihar Chief Minister’s statement amounts to a “criminal act”.

“If Bihar Police are deliberately causing encounters, then they, as well as the government, are murderers,” he told IANS.

Rajput was optimistic that the Supreme Court will serve the Chief Minister a notice over the remark.

Congress leader Ajay Kumar Lallu alleged that just like other BJP-ruled states, crime is increasing on a large scale in Bihar as well.

“In many places the law-and-order system has completely failed. The government should remain alert and take appropriate action,” he added.

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ashutosh Verma said: “In Bihar, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, there is a competition among Chief Ministers to become more hardline Hindus, who can specialise in encounters, and who can run more bulldozers, because in the BJP, popularity means standing up for violence.”

“There is no concern about what the rule of law is,” he added.

However, Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi defended Chief Minister Choudhary saying that criminals must be sent a strong message and that “bullets will be answered with bullets”.

“The police have also been instructed to respond firmly. If there are criminals in Bihar, they should give up crime, otherwise they will not be spared. The Chief Minister also made this clear yesterday that under no circumstances will incidents of crime in Bihar be tolerated,” he told IANS.

JD(U) spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad also supported CM Choudhary’s stance that criminals are not encountered on the basis of caste.

“Tejashwi Yadav needs to be asked that why is he constantly raising questions over the efforts of police to wipe out criminal activities from Bihar,” he said.

Prasad highlighted that criminals don’t have any religion or caste.

Echoing the state BJP chief, the JD(U) leader said: “Action against criminals will continue in Bihar. Either they quit crime or else they will have to leave the state.”

Reacting on the issue, BJP MLA C. P. Singh said: “I do not understand the issue of caste in this matter. A criminal is a criminal. It is not as if criminals belong to only one caste. A criminal can be Rajput, Brahmin, Baniya, or Yadav, anyone can be a criminal.”

Uttar Pradesh Minister Hanshraj Vishwakarma underlined that Samrat Choudhary’s statement should not be misunderstood. “Criminals should be punished irrespective of caste,” he urged.

–IANS

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