Patna, April 12 (PTI) A day after police used batons and water cannons on protesting Congress workers in the state capital, Jignesh Mevani, the Gujarat Congress working president, on Saturday condemned the action and described it as evidence of the “fascist tendencies” of the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government.

On Friday, police used force on Congress workers who were marching towards Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s official residence in protest against the state’s alleged failure to address unemployment and migration.

Several Congress leaders and workers, including Kanhaiya Kumar, were detained, and cases were registered against them.

Talking to reporters, Mevani said, “The use of batons and water cannons on protesting Congress workers in Patna is highly condemnable. Police action shows the fascist tendencies of the Nitish Kumar government. Police also registered cases against Congress workers. In fact, the state government wants to crush the voice of the youth and the people of the state. The NDA government in Bihar is anti-youth, anti-poor, anti-Dalits and against the socially and economically marginalised.” He further alleged that the government, despite claiming to have conducted a caste survey, had “deprived Dalits, tribals, backward classes, extremely backward classes, minorities, and economically weaker sections of their actual benefits.” Mevani added, “Our top leaders—Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi —have been consistently demanding a caste census in the country. They believe that those standing in the last line of society must get social and economic justice. Therefore, a caste census is not only necessary, but also crucial to determine their rights according to their population. However, the Modi government has refused to conduct a caste census, and Nitish Kumar is maintaining a stoic silence on the issue.” He emphasised that the Congress is committed to conducting a caste census nationwide, including in Bihar, similar to what was done in Telangana.

“The fight of Dalits, tribals, backward and extremely backward classes is not just for benefits, but to enable them to become policymakers. That is what the Congress wants to achieve. The majority of people in Bihar are poor, and that is solely due to the anti-people policies of the Nitish Kumar government,” he alleged.

Mevani referred to the Cast-wise Socio-Economic Report published by the Bihar government in 2023, stating: “The report reveals that the monthly income of more than 94.42 lakh families in Bihar is less than Rs 6,000. Additionally, 81.91 lakh families (29.61 percent) have a monthly income between Rs 6,000 and Rs 10,000.” He added, “It is clear that resources in the state have not reached the poor due to rampant corruption. The Bihar government has cheated people in the name of the caste survey and hindered the progress of the underprivileged.” He further said, “Speaking in the Assembly after the caste survey report was presented, Nitish Kumar claimed that his government would provide Rs 2 lakh to the 94.42 lakh families whose income is Rs 6,000 or less. But nothing has been done so far.” Mevani also blamed both the state and central governments for the setback to reservation policies.

“Due to the weak arguments presented by the Bihar government and the reluctance of the central government, the Patna High Court struck down the increased reservation granted on the basis of the caste survey in June 2024,” he added. PTI PKD MNB