PATNA: A fresh political storm erupted in Bihar after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar allegedly used objectionable remarks against former CM Rabri Devi in the Legislative Council.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader (RJD), Tejashwi Yadav, condemned Nitish Kumar's remarks, calling them a sign of his "deteriorating health" and inability to govern Bihar.
"Rabri Devi was the first woman CM of Bihar. She is older than Nitish Kumar in both age and relation. The way he is talking about women shows that his health is deteriorating and he is unfit to govern, " Yadav said.
"Nitish Kumar is constantly using indecent language for women. His mental health is questionable, and he is losing control. The CM position has prestige, but Nitish Kumar is disrespecting it with such language, " he added.
RJD MLC Sunil Singh also hit back at Nitish Kumar.
"Nitish Kumar has insulted women before too. Today, he disrespected Bihar's first woman CM, Rabri Devi. If he can't even remember Lalu Prasad Yadav's name, it seems he is suffering from a serious disease of forgetfulness, " Singh said.
On Friday, the Bihar Assembly and State Legislative Council had given priority to the women legislatures to ask the question a day before the International Women's Day.
RJD MLC Urmila Thakur questioned the government about a girls' high school that has not been established in Garahra village in Begusarai district.
She said that the nearby girls' high school is four to five km away from the village in Barauni city and hence they are unable to go to school.
Hearing this, Nitish Kumar responded aggressively, saying: "They do not know anything. When her (Rabri Devi) husband drowned (went to jail in the fodder scam), he made his wife CM. What has she done for women during her tenure? All the work for women was done by our government."
He also claimed the education system had collapsed under RJD rule.
Women were not encouraged to study before his government, CM Nitish Kumar said.
This controversy could damage Nitish Kumar's image among women voters.
RJD is using this as political weapon to show that CM Nitish Kumar is losing his grip on governance.