Daijiworld Media Network - Bhagalpur

Bhagalpur, Mar 13: JD(U) MLA Narendra Kumar Niraj, popularly known as Gopal Mandal, has been booked by the Bihar police for allegedly performing Bhojpuri songs with obscene undertones at a public event in Bhagalpur district. Officials confirmed on Thursday that an FIR has been registered against the legislator.

A viral video purportedly shows Mandal singing suggestive Bhojpuri numbers at a Holi function on March 10. In the footage, the multiple-term MLA from the Gopalpur assembly seat is also seen pasting a currency note on a dancer’s cheek. However, the authenticity of the video has not been independently verified.

The case was filed on March 12 by the Naugachia police, under Bhagalpur division, following a report submitted by Sub-Inspector Surendra Singh. Attempts to obtain comments from the MLA or the Superintendent of Police of the Naugachia district have been unsuccessful.

Mandal has made headlines in the past, including an incident where he was spotted moving around in his undergarments aboard a Rajdhani Express train.

The FIR comes amid a recent crackdown by the Bihar police on vulgar Bhojpuri songs. A circular issued on March 7 described such songs as a “burning social problem” that threatens women’s safety and negatively influences children’s psychology. The directive mandates action against those playing obscene songs at public functions or in vehicles such as buses, trucks, and auto-rickshaws under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.

The order was sent to all Inspector Generals, Deputy Inspector Generals, and railway police officials across the state as part of an intensified effort to curb the trend.