Verbal exchanges dominate Bihar Assembly as Samrat Choudhary targets Pappu Yadav over arrest

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Patna, Feb 20 (IANS) Bihar politics witnessed a dramatic turn on Friday as sharp verbal exchanges involving animals took centre stage in the Bihar Legislative Assembly.

During the discussion on the Home Department’s budget, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary launched a stinging attack on Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, triggering an equally sharp counterattack.

While responding to the debate, Samrat Choudhary mocked Pappu Yadav by likening him to an “elephant.”

Referring to past statements, he said that some people land at the airport claiming the Bihar Police cannot even kill an ant, but are arrested within two hours and then immediately fall sick.

“Now even elephants, fearing the police, prefer to go to the hospital,” he quipped, drawing laughter and protests in the House.

Reacting swiftly on social media, Pappu Yadav hit back with an aggressive post.

Without naming Samrat Choudhary directly, he wrote, “He was once a minor and has now become a monkey. This monkey has Bihar in his hands. He has removed the turban of self-respect and turned it into a towel to collect commissions,” escalating the political rhetoric.

Pappu Yadav has recently been vocal over the suspicious death of a NEET aspirant, taking the issue from Patna to Delhi.

He was arrested late at night on January 6 in Patna and spent nearly a week in Beur Jail before being granted bail.

He has alleged that the arrest was aimed at suppressing his voice.

Earlier in the Assembly, Samrat Choudhary, who also holds the Home portfolio, launched a broader attack on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). He said that while the RJD tweets daily about crime, it did not even make a cut motion on the Home Department’s budget.

Following his remarks, opposition members staged a walkout.

Highlighting law-and-order figures, Samrat Choudhary said that emergency service 112 has provided immediate assistance to millions.

He claimed action had been taken in around 4.5 lakh domestic violence cases.

Presenting crime statistics, he said nearly 7,000 arrests were made in murder and robbery cases, 2,500 in loot cases, and 2,700 for attacks on police personnel.

“Over 3.86 lakh people have been arrested so far in 2025. No criminal can escape in Bihar,” he asserted.

Taking a swipe at former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Samrat Choudhary said there was no good governance during his rule, which is why Nitish Kumar parted ways with him in 1994.

He reiterated that while responsibilities may have shifted, the Chief Minister still has the final authority.

Responding to allegations by Rabri Devi, Samrat Chaudhary said that if anyone has evidence that a leader’s son is involved in crime, they should name him, and action will be taken within 24 hours.

–IANS

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SC to hear tomorrow plea challenging Telangana’s 42 pc BC quota in local bodies

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As per the causelist published on the website of the Apex Court, a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta will take up the matter for hearing on October 6.

The petition, filed through advocate Somiran Sharma, under Article 32 of the Constitution, contended that the move breached the 50 per cent ceiling laid down by the Apex Court judgments governing reservations in local bodies.

The plea challenged G.O. Ms. No. 09 dated September 26, contending that with existing SC and ST quotas of 15 per cent and 10 per cent, the aggregate reservation now exceeds 67 per cent.

It pointed out that Section 285A of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, explicitly codifies the 50 per cent ceiling in line with the Constitution Bench ruling in K. Krishna Murthy v. Union of India case.

“Despite this statutory bar, the Respondent State has sought to enforce the impugned Government Order, thereby acting ultra vires the Constitution as well as the statute,” the plea stated.

Referring to the Apex Court’s decision in the K. Krishna Murthy case, the petition said that “the upper ceiling of 50 per cent vertical reservations in favour of SCs/STs/OBCs should not be breached in the context of local self-government. Exceptions can only be made in order to safeguard the interests of the Scheduled Tribes in Scheduled Areas”.

The plea alleged that the Telangana government has failed to comply with the “triple test” laid down by the Supreme Court in Vikas Kishanrao Gawali vs. State of Maharashtra, mandating that any OBC reservation in local bodies must be preceded by a dedicated Commission conducting a rigorous empirical inquiry; local body-wise specification of reservation based on that data; and a ceiling ensuring the total reservation for SCs, STs, and OBCs does not exceed 50 per cent.

It also questioned the basis of the state government’s decision, pointing out that the enhancement is based on “a one-man commission report” that “was neither placed in the public domain nor debated in the Legislature, nor does it satisfy the requirement of a rigorous contemporaneous empirical enquiry”.

“The Telangana government’s reliance on Articles 243D(6) and 243T(6) of the Constitution is wholly misconceived. While those provisions empower the state legislature to make reservations for Backward Classes in local bodies, the enabling power is subject to constitutional limitations, including the judicially imposed 50 per cent ceiling,” the plea stated.

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Will seek Puducherry Police help for Kunal Kamra’s arrest: Maha Minister

Mumbai, March 24 (IANS) After an FIR was filed against Kunal Kamra, Shiv Sena Minister Pratap Sarnaik said the stand-up comedian has fled to Puducherry and the help of police there will be sought to arrest him.

“Kunal Kamra is a pervert. He is pretending to have been given rights by the Constitution by taking a copy of it. Kamra has fled to Puducherry, we will take the help of the police there to arrest him. We will not support any vandalism. An attempt is being made to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in Mumbai,“ the Minister said.

The controversy erupted after Kunal Kamra uploaded a video on his official YouTube channel commenting on Maharashtra politics, in which he referred to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a “traitor”. Some Shiv Sena workers later went to the venue, questioned the club management, and vandalised the property.

Later, the police arrested 11 Shiv Sena activists for allegedly vandalising the city hotel where the shoot of comedian Kunal Kamra’s stand-up comedy show had taken place on Sunday.

Shiv Sena deputy leader Sanjay Nirupam said, “Kunal Kamra is a part of the Congress ecosystem. Kamra takes part in Rahul Gandhi’s padyatra. He is also seen with Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule.”

“What Kamra did is not sarcasm, it is a serious allegation. You are calling our leader a traitor. Do you know what is happening in Shiv Sena? Do you know the meaning of betrayal? In 2022, more than 40 MLAs rebelled under Shinde’s leadership, it was not betrayal, it was an attempt to bring Shiv Sena in the right direction,” said Nirupam.

He further stated, “Uddhav Thackeray committed the betrayal. He left Balasaheb’s Hindutva. He allied with the Congress. Shinde rebelled to correct that. In the entire country, only Uddhav Thackeray and his people call Shinde a traitor. No one else does. Kamra started this by taking supari.”

“Who is Kunal Kamra? He is a special person of Sanjay Raut. There is a photo of Kunal Kamra with Sanjay Raut. I don’t know what he has to do with him,” said Nirupam.

Further, Shiv Sena legislator Manisha Kayande slammed Kunal Kamra and demanded that he should immediately apologise for his remarks. “We, the women Shiv Sainiks, will be aggressive and if he does not apologize within two days, we will blacken his face,” she warned.

BJP leader Mohit Kamboj said, “Right now the studio is broken, the picture is still to be made, friend. Heartfelt congratulations to all Shiv Sainiks and Jai Shri Ram.”

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Who will take the reins of NCP? Leadership crisis looms after Ajit Pawar’s death

Baramati, Jan 29 (IANS) Following the untimely death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar, a debate has emerged regarding the party’s future and who will lead it.

Party insiders are also internally discussing whether the BJP will retain the Deputy CM’s post from the NCP and who will succeed Ajit Pawar.

Historically, regional parties in India have been dominated by specific families. In Maharashtra, both the Shiv Sena and the NCP have kept power within their respective family circles. Since the NCP’s inception in 1999, Ajit Pawar remained a confidant of his mentor, Sharad Pawar. However, while Ajit Pawar had been active in politics since 1991, Supriya Sule entered Parliament in 2006. The tension over who would be Sharad Pawar’s political heir ultimately led to Ajit Pawar’s rebellion and the formation of a separate faction in June 2023. Despite senior leaders like Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, and Chhagan Bhujbal, it is widely believed that Ajit Pawar’s son, Parth Pawar, was managing party affairs behind the scenes.

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The BJP, which is heading the Mahayuti government, is expected to play a decisive role in this unfolding crisis.

If the weakening of a regional party allows the BJP to expand its own footprint in Maharashtra, the ruling party will likely encourage NCP heavyweights — such as Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde — to join its ranks. Unlike the situation with the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), which the BJP supports to counter Uddhav Thackeray, the BJP may not feel the need to keep the NCP faction alive as a separate entity.

As the Sharad Pawar group struggles to regain its footing following losses in municipal elections, the BJP is likely to script a strategy that ensures the NCP’s base is absorbed or neutralised, similar to how it navigated the leadership vacuum in Tamil Nadu’s AIADMK following the passing of Jayalalithaa.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)

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