Patna, Oct. 24: A petition was filed against senior JDU leader Sharad Yadav in Patna High Court today for allegedly issuing derogatory statements against former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi way back in November 2014.
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) general secretary Vishnu Paswan has filed the case.
The former JDU president had described Manjhi as a musahar (a Mahadalit), who never went to school. "How can he become the chief minister as he has not seen books and school," Sharad had reportedly told mediapersons in Kanpur on November 30, 2014.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar had handpicked Manjhi to replace him on the chief minister's chair after he resigned in May 2014 following JDU's drubbing in the general election.
However, relations between Nitish and Manjhi soured after some of Manjhi's statements embarrassed Nitish as well as the party. Manjhi was later sacked from the party paving the way for Nitish's return to the chief minister's chair.
Paswan had earlier filed a case against Sharad in the chief judicial magistrate's court in Patna under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He had also filed a police complaint with Harijan police station on Boring Road in Patna.
However, Manjhi did not get any relief from the lower court as a result of which a petition was filed against Sharad in high court on Monday.
Paswan's counsel Jaivardhan said: "Sharad's remarks are an insult not only to a particular caste or community but entire Bihar." The court has accepted the petition and the matter will be heard soon," he added.
It was not the JDU leader's only statement in a war of words against Manjhi.
In February 2015, Sharad came out all guns blazing against Manjhi for causing damage to the party by recommending dissolution of the state Legislative Assembly and bringing the matter to the head.
Sharad had then said: "Manjhi ne thali mein chhed kiya (Manjhi has bitten the hand that fed him). He had done a wrong thing. What else he could have done? He has wronged the party," before adding: "Mungeri Lal ke haseen sapne kabhi poore nahi honge (his dreams will never be fullfilled)."
