Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has once again found himself at the center of controversy after his actions during a sports event in Patna. The incident, which took place at the inauguration of the Sepaktakraw World Cup at Pataliputra Sports Complex, has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition, with former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav questioning Nitish Kumar’s mental stability and accusing him of disrespecting the national anthem.
As the event progressed, Nitish Kumar left many bewildered by abruptly walking off the stage just as the national anthem was about to begin. While the moderator announced the anthem, the Chief Minister stood up and stepped away from the dais, leaving behind confused ministers and officials. Instead of standing in place for the anthem, he moved towards the participants, waving and shaking hands, seemingly in high spirits following a tense session at the Bihar legislature earlier in the day.
Officials scrambled to follow the Chief Minister and usher him back to the stage, but he appeared more interested in interacting with the event’s mascot, a buffalo named BHIM. He even requested the person inside the mascot costume to remove the mask, joking that it looked frightening. Eventually, he returned to the stage, but his actions during the anthem continued to raise eyebrows. Cameras caught him laughing and engaging in conversation while the anthem played, tapping the shoulder of Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Deepak Kumar. As the IAS officer attempted to maintain composure, Nitish Kumar persistently tried to get his attention, smiling and even folding his hands in greeting towards someone in the audience. It took Deepak Kumar discreetly pulling at the Chief Minister’s sleeve to get him to stay still until the anthem concluded.
The viral video of the incident quickly led to a political storm, with the opposition accusing Nitish Kumar of blatant disrespect. Tejashwi Yadav took to X (formerly Twitter), criticizing the Chief Minister for his behavior, stating that he frequently disrespects youth, students, women, and the elderly. Yadav further remarked that Nitish Kumar’s actions reflected his deteriorating mental and physical stability, raising concerns about his ability to govern effectively.
However, Nitish Kumar’s allies, including Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, defended him. Manjhi countered the criticism by accusing the opposition of maligning Bihar’s image, asserting that it was Nitish Kumar who restored the state’s dignity on an international platform. He argued that while the opposition reminisced about the era of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s rule, Nitish Kumar had remained Bihar’s preferred leader and would continue to be in the future.
The Sepaktakraw World Cup, featuring 21 nations including China, Indonesia, Japan, Iran, Nepal, France, Germany, Italy, the USA, and Brazil, is set to conclude on March 25. However, the political discourse surrounding Nitish Kumar’s conduct at the event is likely to persist, adding another chapter to Bihar’s ever-evolving political landscape.
