Despite fears that the Opposition parties’ severely diminished numerical strength in the Bihar Assembly might make the Nitish Kumar-led ruling alliance too arrogant about its functioning and policies, the government is showing increasing respect to the Opposition’s voices of protest in line with the democratic ideals.
In the latest instance on Saturday, Bihar DGP Neelmani agreed to look into the controversial acquittal of five people accused in the daring murder in 2005 of the then SP of Munger district, K.C. Surendra Babu, by suspected Maoists a day after the RJD alleged ulterior political motives. Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Abdul Bari Siddiqui, of the RJD, had alleged that acquittal order of Munger sessions court was possible due to the NDA government’s efforts to weaken the investigations and the trial with the aim of the government ensuring the Maoists’ tacit support in the Assembly polls in 2005 and 2010. All the 22 witnesses, most of them policemen, in the case of the SP’s murder on January 5, 2005 had turned hostile during the trial, causing the acquittals earlier this month and prompting the RJD to accuse the government of covert involvement. Sources close to the CM said Mr Siddiqui’s charges made him call for the summarised details of this case from the police headquarters and also seek legal opinions for a possible appeal in an upper court. The Opposition parties’ series of protests over the police handling the murder case of Purnea’s BJP MLA Raj Kishore Kesri by an allegedly oppressed lady schoolteacher this month forced the government to hand over the investigations to the CBI.
With Mr Kumar’s trusted ally and deputy chief minister Sushilkumar Modi of the BJP being in the eye of a political storm raised by the Opposition parties, Mr Kumar maintained a studied silence for a week before ordering a CBI probe when Mr Modi himself desired so.