‘Your Questions Are Inappropriate!’: Nitish Kumar on Patna Murder

On 12 Jan, Rupesh Singh, an Indigo airport station manager, was in his SUV outside his home when he was shot dead.

In a press conference on 15 January where Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was being asked questions about the recent murder of an Indigo Employee two kilometres from the CM’s residence, he got agitated with the members of the press and asked a particular reporter, “Whose supporter are you?”

On 12 January, Rupesh Singh, an Indigo Airport station manager, was in his SUV outside the gates of his home when two men riding a bike shot him dead. He was waiting to enter the house.

NDTV के @manishndtv ने पूछे सीधे, सटीक और तीखे सवाल तो तिलमिला उठे बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री। सवाल थे उनके राज में क़ानून व्यवस्था पर। उन्होंने कहा RJD से उनके राज पर सवाल पूछिए। सवालों से ऐसी भी क्या नाराज़गी नीतीश कुमार जी ? pic.twitter.com/6QT8SKApmW

— Sanket Upadhyay (@sanket) January 15, 2021

“Your questions are completely wrong, your questions are inappropriate. I am telling you. Know for sure, that do not demoralise the police. They are working hard. If they do not work hard, then there is investigation on that,” the chief minister told reporters, as seen in the video.

‘Whose Supporter Are You?’: Nitish Asked Journalist

“Despite that whenever there is violence there is pain and there is an investigation. Go to other states and check for yourself,” he told the reporter. Then getting more angry with his voice raising, he said, “Whose supporter are you? I am asking you directly. Why don’t you write about the crime of the wife-husband duo. Write about that instead.”

Meanwhile, Rupesh’s brother Nandeshwar Singh told ANI that while the CM had given an assurance that the culprit would be nabbed within 48 hours, there had been no arrest yet. “We feel that Patna administration is unable to make the arrest. So, CM should hand over the probe to CBI,” his brother said, while adding that Rupesh had left his wife and two children behind and the CM should provide a job to his wife and make arrangements for the education of his children.

Right before leaving, Nitish Kumar said he will tell the police to take all the clues they can from the journalists to crack the murder case.

Pressure From BJP on Nitish Kumar

In light of this murder, CM Nitish Kumar is not only under pressure from the Opposition, but also its ally BJP. On 13 January, BJP MP in Rajya Sabha Gopal Narayan Singh said that while the government was working with BJP’s support it was also necessary to speak of improvements in Bihar.

“I think law and order is poor in the state and corruption cases are on surge. There is no control over the law and order in the state. There is no visible grip of our government on the current police system presently.”

BJP MP in Rajya Sabha Gopal Narayan Singh