Patna, Jan 16 (IANS): Union Minister of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Jitan Ram Manjhi on Thursday criticised Bihar Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav over his ‘DK tax’ remarks.
Reacting sharply, Manjhi questioned the media's focus on Tejashwi Yadav's statements. He also dismissed Tejashwi Yadav's allegations as baseless and emphasised that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with his extensive experience, is a better leader.
Manjhi appeared to side with Nitish Kumar, highlighting his years of governance and implicitly downplaying the credibility of Tejashwi Yadav's claims.
Tejashwi Yadav, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, has been actively targeting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the Bihar government over the issue of "DK tax."
In his recent public appearances, especially during press conferences, Tejashwi Yadav has been consistently raising the topic of the ‘DK tax’, claiming that it is a serious issue involving corruption within the state government.
Earlier, Tejashwi Yadav alleged that ‘D.K. Boss’ is the actual beneficiary of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Pragati Yatra which was undertaken to review development projects and interact with people across the state.
“The so-called ‘D.K. Boss’ is the actual beneficiary of the Pragati Yatra. Nitish Kumar's Pragati Yatra is a facade for corruption. D.K. Boss is amassing wealth through this initiative. I have evidence about how ‘DK tax’ is being imposed and I will reveal it soon,” said the LoP.
Tejashwi also criticised the government for spending a massive ?2.25 billion on the Pragati Yatra, calling it a waste of public money. He referred to it as a Durghati Yatra (a journey of misfortune) instead of a Pragati Yatra (a journey of progress).
He alleged that the Pragati Yatra is merely an opportunity for retired officials and bureaucrats accompanying Nitish Kumar to indulge in corruption, claiming that the journey symbolises “officers’ freedom to loot.”
The opposition leader also accused Nitish Kumar of lacking a concrete vision or blueprint for Bihar's development while highlighting the absence of discussions around Bihar's demand for special state status during the Pragati Yatra.
“The state has become a Gangaotri of corruption under Nitish Kumar’s leadership,” Yadav said.