Bihar’s leader of opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav today questioned the location of the CCTV camera installed atop chief minister Nitish Kumar’s house, alleging his privacy was being breached.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader, whose house is right behind the chief minister’s 1 Anne Marg residence, claimed that the camera can see all parts of his house, including the bedrooms and kitchen.
“Nitishji, you and your police have all the right to ensure your security, but no right to constantly peep into my bedroom, the main entrance to the house, the kitchen, the residential office through a 360 degree HD camera. I have no problem if you install a camera at the main gate of my house,” he said in a tweet.
Tejashwi’s mother and former chief minister, Rabri Devi too supported her son, asking whether the CCTV camera has been installed to locate former social welfare minister, Manju Verma, who is wanted in an arms act case but is evading arrest.
“Does he (Nitish) think that Manju Verma is in hiding in my son’s house? Had he installed the same inside his house, the absconding former minister could have been behind the bars by now,” she said. The failure of the state police to arrest Verma had also drawn adverse comment from the Supreme Court, which has summoned the director general of police to appear before it.
RJD spokesperson Bhai Virendra said the government is wary of Tejashwi’s growing popularity and hence the chief minister and his associates are keeping a vigil on him. “They are also tapping phone calls of the Yadav brothers and Rabri Devi,” he alleged.
The ruling Janata Dal (United) dismissed the allegations, saying Tejashwi has no right to speak on crime and security. “Jo kam padhe likhe hote hain who aisi batein karte hainz (Those who are less educated speak such things),” party spokesperson Sanjay Singh told media persons. “A high school dropout questioning the legitimacy of CM’s security holds no significance for us,” he added.
No senior police officer was ready to comment on the issue. The CM’s principal secretary, Chanchal Kumar too did not respond to calls and messages. Since Nitish Kumar holds the home department charge, officers refrain from making any comments on issues related to him.