Patna: A political row has erupted after union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi faced criticism for comments made about the fatal shooting of a Bihar delivery worker in Delhi.
Pandav Kumar, a resident of Khagaria district in Bihar, was allegedly shot dead by a Delhi police officer in Dwarka several days ago. Another delivery worker was seriously injured in the same incident.
When asked by reporters for his reaction, Manjhi said: “What is so unusual about it? If he was killed by police gunfire, there must have been some reason. There will be an investigation. If the shooter is found to be at fault, action will be taken.”
The remarks drew immediate condemnation from opposition parties and prompted criticism from within the ruling alliance.
Chirag Paswan, leader of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and a union minister, publicly distanced himself from Manjhi’s statement, calling for greater sensitivity towards the bereaved family.
Speaking to reporters, Paswan said Manjhi was a respected senior political figure but should not have spoken in such terms.
“It does not matter whether the victim was from Bihar or any other part of the country, or belonged to any caste or religion. You cannot say that someone died and that is the end of it,” Paswan said.
“If you cannot understand the pain of that family, you have no right to add to their suffering.”
Paswan acknowledged that his intervention could be interpreted as signs of tension within the alliance, but said he could not support such remarks.
“If I defend such a statement today, I would never be able to look the victim’s family in the eye,” he said.
The shooting remains under scrutiny, with demands for a full investigation into the conduct of the police officer involved.
