Bihar elections: RLSP accuses Nitish Kumar of playing 'caste card'

PATNA: Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), an ally of BJP in NDA alliance, today said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was "targetting" people of a particular caste since the arrest of JD(U) MLA Anant Singh.

RLSP State President Arun Kumar, MP, told reporters that members of a particular caste (Bhumiyar) are being targeted in Barh and Mokama areas in the wake of arrest of Singh.

He charged Kumar with playing "caste card" by bringing Vikash Vaibhav as Senior Superintendent of Police of Patna who belongs to the same caste to make a show of impartiality.

The RLSP state chief asserted, "We are not wearing bangles and will teach a bitter lesson to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for targetting one caste."

Arun Kumar, the Lok Sabha member from Jehanabad, alleged that Nitish Kumar was wearing a "mukhauta" (mask) of acting impartially but in truth was playing "caste card" with RJD of Lalu Prasad for political gains in the coming elections.

JD(U) MLA from Mokama, Anant Singh was arrested on Wednesday and sent to jail in a case of kidnapping and extortion of a builder of Bihta in November last year.

The arrest came in the wake of police search at his home in Patna in connection with kidnapping of four youths in Barh on June 17 in which one Putush Yadav died later on.

Singh hails from landlord Bhumiyar caste while the youth who died was from Yadav caste of RJD President Lalu Prasad.

During RJD rule in the state from 1990 to 2005, the two castes were pitted against each other.