Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan with BJP leaders in Patna on Tuesday . Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Jitan Ram Manjhi is issuing controversial statements every other day, the BJP is having a field day criticising him and the JDU is busy defending him instead of tackling opponents.

“Manjhi’s controversial statements are becoming a nightmare. The Bihar chief minister is like the proverbial bull in a china shop. The party is defending his statements rather than attacking the main opposition,” said a JDU Rajya Sabha MP.

The BJP is delighted. “Manjhi is like the mythological demon Bhashmasur who tried to kill his creator, Lord Shiva,” said a senior BJP leader.

Bhashmasur was granted the power to turn anybody into ashes if he touched their heads with his hand after which he tried to touch Shiva’s head.

A JDU leader said: “Panic struck after Manjhi’s temple-cleanse statement on Sunday. Mines minister Ram Lakhan Ram Raman was flooded with calls from party leaders as the chief minister claimed he told Manjhi of the cleansing.”

At a function to mark the birth anniversary of former chief minister Bhola Paswan Shashtri, Manjhi had alleged that the Parmeshwaristhan temple in Madhubani was washed after he left following prayers on August 18. At present, the chief minister is isolated with his cabinet colleagues and party leaders denying the claim.

Rural development minister Nitish Mishra and party MLC Binod Singh, who accompanied Manjhi to the temple, have denied the incident. Raman claimed Manjhi probably made a mix-up. Only former MP Devendra Prasad Yadav is by his side but he wasn’t in Madhubani with Manjhi.

On Tuesday, JDU MLA Neeraj Bablu issued a public statement that the chief minister should resist saying anything before checking facts.

If lack of support from his ranks was not enough, the opposition is having a field day.

“People from the downtrodden section come to him for justice. Instead Manjhi makes claims of being discriminated against at the temple. Why did he not take immediate action against the guilty if so was the case?” asked Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan at a public function in Patna on Tuesday.

Former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi stressed: “If the two ministers are lying, they should be sacked from the ministry. If the chief minister is lying, an FIR should be lodged against him under Section 153(A) of the IPC.”