Patna: The political battlelines in Bihar sharpened as Health Minister Mangal Pandey threw an open challenge to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav for a public debate on appointments made during Yadav’s stint as Health Minister.
Addressing a programme at Bapu Auditorium in Patna, where appointment letters were handed out to over 21,000 new constables, Pandey questioned Tejashwi’s claims about providing jobs. “Whatever positive work has been done today, the credit for it goes to Chief Minister Nitish, not Tejashwi Yadav,” Pandey said, highlighting that in the past month alone more than 9,000 appointments were made in the Health Department, while other departments like Education and Home were also seeing massive recruitment.
Pandey insisted the state government under Nitish Kumar had moved decisively to create jobs for the youth. “The process of providing employment in Bihar is moving rapidly, which will benefit the youth,” he noted.
Pandey also took a swipe at Tejashwi Yadav over his objections to document requirements during the voter list revision, alleging that RJD leaders had historically benefited from fake voting. “These are the same people who never wanted elections to be transparent. Look at the period from 1990 to 2005, when fake voters cast votes while real voters stayed home,” Pandey remarked.
He further quipped, “If someone is having a stomachache due to fair elections, it shows what kind of politics they want to do.”
The sharp remarks come as Bihar heads into the Assembly polls, raising the political heat.
Recently, Tejashwi Yadav had targeted Mangal Pandey after the tragic death of an 11-year-old rape victim at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), accusing him of negligence and demanding his resignation. The victim died after allegedly waiting for four hours in an ambulance without treatment.
