Criminals Have No Caste, Says Bihar CM After RJD's Encounter Questions
Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary said criminals have no caste, responding to RJD's charge that only one accused's caste was disclosed in the Jamui case.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said on Tuesday that criminals have no caste, pushing back against Opposition criticism over the police encounter in the Jamui case in which the prime accused was shot in the leg.
"A criminal is simply a criminal; they have no caste. If a criminal challenges the police, the police will respond accordingly," Mr. Choudhary said, adding that the rule of law and development with justice remain his government's priorities. He said he does not consider caste or religion in such matters.
The Chief Minister was speaking at a programme organised by the Energy Department, where he transferred a state subsidy to 25,000 beneficiaries under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. He also launched the Mukhyamantri Solar Protsahan Yojana and flagged off nine Solar Raths to spread awareness about solar energy.
His remarks followed a sharp attack from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, which questioned why the caste identity of only one accused — Nandan Kumar Yadav — had been highlighted. In a post on X earlier in the day, the party described the police action as a "half-encounter" and asked why it was not a full one.
The RJD asked which law was protecting the accused, noting that six to seven people were named in the case. It questioned why the caste identities of the remaining accused were being concealed, and why only one person had faced an encounter when the crime was the same for all.
Referring to another case, the party said Bharat Tiwari was shot dead on the street and asked when the remaining accused would face similar action, or whether they would be saved through legal proceedings. It also accused the government of shielding criminals wearing "saffron gamchhas" while claiming that those with "green gamchhas" would continue to face encounters, and demanded a response from the Chief Minister.
Mr. Choudhary also said Bihar's progress was not the government's responsibility alone, describing it as the collective duty of the State's 14 crore people. He called on all departments and the public to work together towards the goal of a "Developed India" and a "Prosperous Bihar" envisioned by former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.