RJD files plea in Supreme Court to postpone Bihar Assembly election amid rising COVID-19 cases

File pic: Zee News

New Delhi: The Rashtravadi Janata Party (RJD) on Monday (September 7) filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking direction for the Election Commission to postpone the Bihar Legislative Assembly election, scheduled to be held in the month of October- November, amid rising COVID-19 cases in the country.

The plea also sought direction for the Election Commission to hold the state Assembly polls in March 2021. Earlier, a similar petition was filed in the apex court but was dismissed.  

Earlier in the day, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the leaders of the opposition were making false statements to mislead people without knowing the ground realities.

In the run-up to the Bihar assembly elections, Nitish Kumar replied to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav`s allegations about lawlessness in Bihar in his first-ever virtual rally on Monday. 

The Bihar CM said, "When they were in power, people could not step outside from their homes after 6 pm. There were no arrests, no trial of criminals. With the blessings of the government, criminals used to wave rifles from their vehicles."

"Now, a majority of criminals have been put behind the bars. They`ve undergone speedy trials. We have carried out special drives to nab absconding criminals. Now, the situation has improved with people stepping out with their families in the evening without any fear," he was quoted by IANS as saying.

During his virtual address, Nitish Kumar presented a report card of the last 15 years, in which he touched upon law and order, the economy, creation of road infrastructure, and flood relief measures undertaken during the time he has been serving as CM. Kumar compared it with the Lalu-Rabri regime of 1990-2005.

He also referred to 2018 NCRB data and said that with a crime rate at an average of 222.1 per lakh population, Bihar ranked 23rd in the country in incidents of crime. The national average is above 300 per lakh population. 

In Bihar, 60 percent of was crime was happening owing to land disputes between family members. Besides, in crimes against women, Bihar`s ranking is 29th in the country, 33rd in rapes, 23rd in the kidnapping, and 11th in murders, he added.

On opposition parties' allegations on non-creation of jobs in the state, Nitish Kumar said that more than 10 lakh people had been given jobs under the Mahatma Gandhi Rashtriya Rojgaar Guarantee Yojna and other schemes including to 2.9 lakh migrants who returned home owing to Covid-19. 

He further said that 164153 people are registered in the employment exchange, adding that the country is undergoing an economic crisis, still, Bihar has done better, added the CM.

The virtual rally, named "Nischay Samvad", was broadcast live through newly launched digital platform jdulive.Com from Karpoori Thakur Sabhagar (conference hall) at the party office in Patna.

Notably, the rally was also available on Facebook, Twitter, and TV channels.