Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has come under fire after a video surfaced showing him purportedly talking and gesturing during the national anthem at an event. Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Awadhesh Prasad strongly condemned the act, calling it an insult to the anthem and the country’s independence movement.
“The way the national anthem is being played on one side, and on the other side, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is talking and gesturing with his hands—this is very condemnable. I don’t know what mood the Bihar Chief Minister was in. He does not understand the significance of the country’s independence, making this an insult to the national anthem,” Prasad told ANI.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav also criticized Kumar, sharing a video of the incident. “At least do not insult the national anthem, Hon’ble Chief Minister. You insult youth, students, women, and the elderly every day. Sometimes you clap on Mahatma Gandhi’s martyrdom day, mocking his sacrifice, and now you are clapping during the national anthem!” Yadav wrote on X.
Yadav further claimed that Kumar was “not mentally or physically stable” and expressed concern over his leadership. “You are the Chief Minister of a big state. Your inability to stay conscious and focused for even a few seconds is a matter of great concern for Bihar. Stop insulting the state repeatedly,” he added.
In the video shared by RJD leaders, Kumar appears to tap an official on the shoulder and engage in conversation while the anthem is playing. At one point, he is also seen smiling and folding his hands in a namaskar toward someone in the audience.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav also weighed in, stating, “India will not tolerate the disrespect of the national anthem. People of Bihar, is there anything left to see?”
With Bihar assembly elections scheduled for October this year, the controversy has added to the already charged political atmosphere in the state. The Election Commission of India has yet to announce the official poll dates.
