Ensuring that benefits of ration goods reach people is state's responsibility, Chirag Paswan said (File)
Patna: Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan on Thursday fired a fresh salvo at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, blaming the outbursts of a councilor against himself and father Ram Vilas Paswan on the state governments alleged failure to ensure effective delivery of central schemes.
Mr Paswan shot off a letter to the effect to Mr Kumar, a couple of days after a video went viral on social media in which Sanjay Yadav, a ward councilor from Sheikhpura district, could be heard hurling expletives against the father-son duo and threatening to shoot them with an "AK-47".
Yadav was arrested on Wednesday, as per SHO of town police station in Sheikhpura Akhilesh Kumar, following an FIR lodged by the LJPs district president Imam Gazali.
Yadav is said to be a supporter of the JD(U) headed by the chief minister. Upon his arrest he had claimed that he was "trapped as part of a political conspiracy" and that he did not mean what he was heard saying in the video.
He claimed that he had a volatile temper and a group of people took advantage of the same by nagging him with complaints of non-receipt of benefits under public distribution system and preparation of ration cards pending since long and "quietly shooting a video" when he lost his cool.
However, Mr Paswan said in his letter to the chief minister, "what really saddened me was that Sanjay Yadav was upset over ration cards being not prepared and, as a consequence, nonreceipt of benefits extended by the Centre".
The LJP chiefs father, the partys founding president who passed on the mantle to the son a year ago, holds consumer affairs and public distribution portfolio in the Union cabinet.
"Getting ration cards made and ensuring that benefits of ration goods supplied by the centre reach the beneficiaries is the responsibility of the state governments concerned", Mr Paswan said in the letter.
"The video, however, indicates shortcomings on part of the state government in this regard. I would request you to get the matter probed thoroughly since there could be many others like Sanjay Yadav who may be in distress because of not receiving benefits of central schemes", he added.
After inquiry, it may please be ensured that the benefits of central schemes reach all beneficiaries, Mr Paswan, who represents Jamui in the Lok Sabha, said by way of a parting note.
The LJP chiefs averment was the latest in a series of criticisms against the Bihar chief minister over the past few months.
Mr Paswan had, while undertaking a statewide tour in March, aborted mid-way because of COVID 19 outbreak, highlighted the fact that despite 15 years of "good governance" by Mr Kumar, Bihar remained at the bottom on all development indices.
During the lockdown, when the state was rocked by a massive influx of migrants and students living in other parts of the country, the LJP chief had again expressed disappointment over the state governments alleged lack of initiative, while showering praises on Yogi Adityanath, who helms the adjoining BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh.
When pointed out that his party was a part of the NDA which is in power in Bihar, Mr Paswan had cryptically stated "we are supporting the government but not a part of it".
Things further soured when in the recent past it was speculated that the JD(U) was reluctant to give away a number of seats (in the upcoming Bihar polls) to LJP that was commensurate with the standing of the party which bagged six Lok Sabha constituencies last year.
A couple of days ago, when an FIR lodged by actor Sushant Singh Rajputs father seeking investigation into his sons suicide hit the headlines, Mr Paswan spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, shared the news on his twitter handle and told a news channel that "my chief minister needs to be more active".
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)