NEW DELHI: A petition was filed in a Bihar court on Friday against chief minister Nitish Kumar seeking action against him over alleged “disrespect” to the national anthem at a public event in Patna.
In the plea, local advocate Suraj Kumar alleged that the chief minister’s actions during the inauguration of a sporting event on Thursday “brought disrepute to the state.”
The advocate filed the plea before the additional chief judicial magistrate (West) in Muzaffarpur and sought police action against the CM under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act.
The court has scheduled the matter for hearing on March 25.
A day earlier, opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD took a dig at Nitish Kumar and shared a video in which Kumar allegedly “insulted the national anthem.”
“At least please do not insult the national anthem, Hon’ble Chief Minister,” Yadav said on X.
“You insult youth, students, women and elderly people every day. Sometimes they clap on Mahatma Gandhi’s martyrdom day and mock his martyrdom, and sometimes they clap on the national anthem!” he added.
Furthermore, Yadav said that whatever the CM says and does carries a lot of weight and responsibility, and his continued tenure as CM is a “matter of grave concern” for Bihar.
“Let us remind you that you are the chief minister of a large state. You are not stable physically or mentally even for a few seconds. Your continuance in this position in such a state is a matter of grave concern for the state. Do not repeatedly insult Bihar like this.” The video of the alleged incident was also shared by RJD supremo and former chief minister Lalu Prasad, who remarked, “India will not stand the insult of the national anthem.”
This is not the first time Nitish Kumar’s actions or statements in public have raised eyebrows. The opposition has consistently questioned his health and ability to govern Bihar. Tejashwi Yadav has been particularly vocal, demanding Kumar’s resignation over his alleged behaviour. “We now feel pity for Nitish Kumar. His repeated speeches and actions in the House clearly show he is not normal. For the sake of Bihar, he should resign on his own,” Yadav said on Wednesday.
However, Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant and other JD(U) leaders have dismissed concerns about his health, insisting that he remains fit to govern.