Amid protests against suspended BJP worker Manoj Baitha

Amid protests against suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker Manoj Baitha, who allegedly mowed down nine children while driving an SUV in an inebriated state in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury on Tuesday lashed out at the saffron party. Chowdhury told ANI that the BJP was not concerned about children as they do not vote.

'A child's life is the most disposable commodity as far as BJP is concerned, whether it is children dying in Gorakhpur or children being mowed down by their leaders, they don't care because children don't vote you see,' she said. Meanwhile, the opposition parties created a ruckus in the Bihar Assembly as they protested against the Nitish Kumar government and demanded the arrest of Baitha. 'Why hasn't Manoj Baitha been arrested yet? The news was spread that he surrendered before police. But we do not know that for sure. Only administration can say if he surrendered, was arrested or fled to Nepal. Neither Nitish Kumar (CM) nor Sushil Modi (Deputy CM) have spoken on this or sought apology yet. Government is trying to brush this under the carpet.' RJD leader and Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Tejashwi Yadav said.

Rubbishing the charge, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi asserted that the police has been directed to take 'sternest possible action' against the accused, 'irrespective of political affiliations'. Following the accident, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad announced the cancellation of Holi celebrations at PNT Community House in Patna planned for March 1. Congress president Rahul Gandhi took the opportunity to assail Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the liquor ban in the state. 'In dry Bihar, one drunk BJP leader killed nine students by running over them. Is this the reality of the liquor ban in Bihar?' Gandhi asked in a tweet.