Patna: Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday alleged that commission from the liquor and sand mafia reaches chief minister Nitish Kumar.
He went on to say many people had become billionaires because of bootlegging. Manjhi was speaking at the RJD function at S.K. Memorial Hall to mark the 127th birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar. Manjhi was accompanied by his son Santosh Kumar Suman, who filed his nomination for the Bihar Legislative Council polls.
"Thousands of people belonging to my community are behind bars for violating prohibition," Manjhi said. "What pains me is that at the other end lakhs of people are becoming billionaires. In the same way the sand policy too is creating billionaires. Earlier, sand was available for Rs 1,500. It is now costing Rs 5,000-8,000. Where is that money going? It's going to the top."
Manjhi said that when he was chief minister, his comment that commission from engineers reached the chief minister's office, too, had made the JDU demanded action. "People were furious at me then. Today, I want to ask where the money from liquor and sand mafia is going," Manjhi asked. "Nitish ji should speak up. I must say that money is going to none other than Nitish Kumar," Manjhi himself replied to a huge applause from the public.
During Manjhi's speech, the dais was occupied by senior RJD leaders, including Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. The other RJD leaders who were present on the dais included Jagdnand Singh, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Kanti Singh, Bhai Birendra.
Before Manjhi began speaking, Raghuvansh had asked him to expose Nitish. As Manjhi was walking towards the podium, Raghuvansh said: " Aaj mauka hai, Manjhiji, Nitish ka bhanda phor dijiyega (Today is the opportunity Manjhiji, expose Nitish).
Manjhi virtually followed Raghuvansh's instructions. He said Nitish was hurting the poor by introducing prohibition and bringing in a new sand policy that has helped the liquor and sand mafia network grow in Bihar.
Manjhi said the bypoll results in Araria Lok Sabha seat and Jehanabad Assembly seat, where the NDA faced defeat, was the outcome of prohibition and the new sand policy.
