Patna: Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday slammed chief minister Nitish Kumar over the issue of the SC/ST Act, claiming that the conviction rate is very poor in Bihar under the act.

Manjhi was reacting on the meeting chaired by Nitish on the state-level vigilance and monitoring committee of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) Prevention of Atrocities Act. During the meeting, Nitish had directed officials to dispose of cases under it speedily in a stipulated time.

The national president of Hindustani Awami Morcha Secular (HAMS) claimed that Nitish chaired the meeting to make the SC/ST people fools.

He said: "I as chief minister had given the instruction to increase the SC/ST police stations from five to 39 across the state to dispose of the cases. I had also given the instruction to register the cases related to SC/ST even in the general police station.

"All these were implemented in my time. Whatever Nitish is doing today was already done by me. It seems as the election is round the corner, he is showing his love towards SC/ST keeping vote bank politics in mind," Manjhi said at his 12 M Strand Road residence.

Manjhi added that during his tenure, five special SC/ST courts were opened to dispose of cases related to the act apart from government advocates from SC/ST. Manjhi claimed that the conviction rate in the SC/ST Act in Bihar is just 0.34 per cent.

"Nitish who think himself as Gautam Buddha should do something to increase the conviction rate in the act. From 2017 onwards, 25,943 cases have registered of which decision on only 1,443 cases have come. He is the chief minister for the past 13 years, why is the conviction rate so slow. So far only 89 people have been convicted. The least convictions are in Patna and his home district Nalanda. In Patna only two and in Nalanda just one," Manjhi said.

During the meeting, Nitish had categorically directed that all cases registered under SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act should be analysed on the basis of their categories and the action taken in them should be monitored.

Manjhi also took a jibe at the central government over on the same issue and demanded new ordinance on the SC/ST Act.

He also appealed to SC/ST Union ministers to resign if Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot bring a new ordinance to safeguard the rights of SC/ST people.