Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, on Monday accused state Urban Development and Housing Minister Jibesh Kumar Mishra of verbally abusing and physically assaulting a journalist during a visit to his Jale constituency.
At a press conference in Patna, Yadav presented a purported video showing the minister shouting at a journalist, who he claimed belongs to a backward community. According to Yadav, the incident occurred when the journalist questioned Mishra about the poor condition of roads.
“He (Jibesh Mishra) has committed a serious crime while being a minister. When asked about roads, instead of answering, he beat and abused the journalist,” Yadav alleged.
The RJD leader also linked the issue to the larger political context, questioning whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting Purnea today, and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are aware of the incident. “Does the law apply equally to ministers? Why has no FIR been registered yet?” Yadav asked.
He further accused the state administration and police of shielding ministers from accountability while targeting poor citizens. “Between the administration and ministers, there is an understanding — they can take bribes, beat people, and still escape action. If this is happening to journalists, imagine the plight of ordinary citizens,” Yadav said.
Meanwhile, PM Modi is scheduled to launch the National Makhana Board and inaugurate development projects worth around ₹36,000 crore in Purnea today, including Bihar’s largest private-sector power project at Pirpainti, Bhagalpur.
