Patna
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is known for his politeness, lost his cool before mediapersons on Friday. The CM accused the journalists of trying to demoralise the police and said they were followers of the 15 years' rule of "Pati-Patni" (referring to Lalu Prasad & Rabri Devi) in Bihar.
CM Nitish and his deputies Renu Devi and Tarkeshwar Prasad were inaugurating the R Block-Digha six lanes road for the public when the incident happened. He was visibly upset when reporters asked questions about the failure of the police to control crime in general and in tracking the killers of Indigo station manager Rupesh Kumar Singh, who was shot dead just 200 metres away from the CM's bungalow.
Nitish called the question absurd, wrong and inappropriate. He claimed Bihar ranked 23rd in the crime graph of the country.
When he was repeatedly asked about the progress of the probe into the murder case, th CM suggested that they should talk to the DGP. On this, mediapersons in unison told him that the DGP does not respond to their calls.
Nitish Kumar accused the media of demoralising the police force and alleged they were followers of the 15 years' rule of "Pati-Patni" in Bihar. "Do you remember the period of Pati-Patni, when violence, murder, rapes were common? Why don't you write and expose the happenings of those 15 years?
This infuriated the mediapersons further who strongly refuted the charge of the chief minister and in presence of the ministers and officers said: "Mr chief minister, you are giving lectures (Bhashan de rahe hain)."
Nitish then said he has asked the police to arrest the killers of the Indigo executive immediately and arrange for their speedy trial.
When the CM-media altercation was on, news of another daylight murder under Sultanganj police station came in where a businessmen was shot dead near Gulbi Ghat.
Nitish later talked to DGP SK Singhal over telephone and asked him to respond to the calls of mediapersons. If he was busy, Nitish added, he should nominate one of his men to talk to the media and inform them about the latest developments in the investigations.
Within an hour of CM's instructions, the DGP released a press note giving details of the landline and mobile numbers on which he can be contacted by the media.
Leader of opposition Tejaswhi Prasad Yadav shared the video of exchange of words between the CM and the media and questioned: "Is it necessary to be a supporter of BJP or Nitish Kumar to survive in journalism in Bihar?"
