Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi’s “request” to criminals to keep away from illegal activities during pitru paksha drew flak from Opposition with RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav calling him a “hypocrite”.
Pitru Paksha is a 16-day lunar period in the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar, during which Hindus pay homage to their ancestors. It is during this period, the ritual of pind daan or offering food to ancestors is performed on the banks of river Falgu in Gaya district. The period of Pitru Paksha started on September 23 and will go on till October 8.
“With my folded hands I want to appeal to all the criminals to refrain from crime and indulging in criminal activities during the time of pitru paksha ... during other days, you keep doing something or the other,” Mr. Modi had said during the inauguration of pind daan ceremony in Gaya on Sunday.
Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejaswi Yadav on Tuesday took a potshot on Mr. Modi for his comments.
“Bihar Dy CM Sushil Modi shamelessly with folded hands begging to criminals, not to commit any crime in next 15 days as it dents his govt’s image. Later in festive season u r free to do what u do like kidnap, loot & shoot….shame on U Mr. Modi! The hypocrite reciter of Jungalraj", tweeted Mr. Yadav.
Reports of shoot-outs are on the rise in the State.
Former Mayor of Muzaffarpur, Sameer Kumar Singh, was gunned down on Sunday evening when criminals sprayed over two dozen bullets allegedly from sophisticated AK-47 rifle on him.
On Friday, a contractor Tabrej Alam was gunned down near Kotwali police station in Patna in broad day light. Earlier, as many as eight AK-47 rifles were recovered from a person in Munger district.
“These days criminals in Bihar have more AK-47 rifles than police… law and order situation in the state has completely collapsed”, senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari told The Hindu .
