'Soldiers Who Drink Are Not Indians?': Tejashwi Slams Nitish Kumar Over 'Mahapaapi' Remark

RJD leader's scathing attack on Nitish Kumar came a day after the latter said that people who drink are great sinners, good for nothing, and do not deserve to be called Indians.

Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of Opposition in Bihar Tejashwi Yadav on Friday slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his recent remarks describing drinkers as "Mahapaapi (sinners) who are not Indians".

Taking to his Twitter account, Tejashwi wondered whether the Chief Minister was also referring to soldiers who drink.

"Going by Nitish Kumar's logic, Indian soldiers who drink are also not Hindustani. Criminals who spill rivers of blood and the corrupt are not Mahapaapi or Maha-ayogya (sinners and worthless) but drinkers are?" Tejashwi Yadav tweeted in Hindi while sharing a video of Nitish Kumar's comment in the Bihar assembly.

RJD leader's scathing attack on Nitish Kumar came a day after the latter said that people who drink are great sinners, good for nothing, and do not deserve to be called Indians. The Janata Dal-United (JDU) chief made the remarks on the floor of the state legislature.

Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, Kumar recalled the revulsion "Bapu" had for alcohol and railed against critics who questioned liquor ban in Bihar, which has been in force since 2016.

"Those who criticise us for bringing prohibition, think they are kaabil (accomplished). Actually, they are maha ayogya (good for nothing) and maha paapi (great sinners)," Kumar had fumed.

The CM also said that it was Gandhi who had helped the country get Independence and, as such, those who disagreed with him on the issue of alcohol "cannot be called Hindustanis or Bharatiyas".

Bihar was declared a dry state in April, 2016 in keeping with an electoral promise Kumar had made to the state's women ahead of the assembly polls held in 2015.

Since then, the JDU-led government maintained that the ban on liquor has led to improved standards of living in the state.

Recently, Kumar turned down suggestions that those coming to the state from outside be exempted with the remark that anybody who found liquor ban inconvenient "need not visit Bihar".

Earlier this week, Nitish Kumar government has decided to introduce the Bihar Liquor Prohibition Bill 2022 in the state Assembly.

Under the amendment, there is a provision for first-time offenders to get bail from the duty magistrate after depositing a fine. In case the offender is not able to deposit the fine, he/she is liable to face one month jail.