Patna: Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi slammed the Nitish Kumar government over the ongoing encroachment drive, alleging that only poor people's houses are being demolished.

Manjhi alleged that there were many rich people who have made illegal structures in Patna but the administration are not taking any step on that front. Manjhi said though the law and order was the top issue to deal with but the government had focused itself on torturing poor people who live in roadside huts.

Manjhi threatened that if homeless people are not rehabilitated in the next 15 days, he would lead a mass protest from Gandhi Maidan, calling all street vendors and roadside people living in huts. "The state government will be responsible if anything goes wrong during the mass protest," Manjhi said.

"The state government is preparing to undertake the smart city project and accordingly, steps are being taken. But earthmovers in the ongoing drive are not demolishing illegal houses and malls but only houses of poor people who live roadside huts. If the government does not need poor people, they should better throw them out of Bihar because all have become homeless and their houses have been demolished mercilessly," Manjhi said, while interacting with the media at his official residence.

Manjhi further alleged that Nitish was not bothered about poor people and in the name of smart city, they are being tortured which is an immoral act. He added that there was a Supreme Court ruling that unless alternative is provided, people cannot be made homeless.

"Without rehabilitating the people who do not have any shelter and their numbers are in lakhs, how can the Nitish government do this (undertake the drive)? These poor people are living under the open sky in this rainy season without food. If the roadside vendors do not sell their goods, what they will eat and after their small shops have been demolished, how they will earn their livelihood?"

The mega drive is going on since August 16 and it will continue till September 5. So far, the district administration has demolished thousands of illegal structures acting on a Patna High Court order to make the traffic smooth in the city by removing encroachments.

The leader also claimed that for the betterment of the Grand Alliance in the Lok Sabha elections, he was ready to give up his seat and his party, Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular (HAMS), may not contest even a single seat.