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Under attack from the Bharatiya Janata Party over his "silence" on terrorist Yasin Bhatkal's arrest and role of the Bihar police, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the cops acted in a highly professional manner and it was not for politicians to comment on it.
"Is political executive a spokesman of police?" Kumar told reporters, reacting to former deputy chief Minister and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi questioning his silence on arrest of Bhatkal and his associate Assadulla Akhtar alias Haddi from Raxual on Indo-Nepal border.
The BJP has alleged that the Bihar police on direction from "above" did not claim the arrest of Bhatkal and Haddi, persuading Uttar Pradesh to show the arrest, and also failed to question him.
Complimenting the police for acting in a "highly professional" manner, he said, "On the input of Intelligence Bureau, the Bihar police with other central agencies worked hard to arrest the two top Indian Mujahideen operatives...the police job is to perform duty honestly and not go around thumping chest," the CM said with state police chief Abhyanand by his side.
The CM emerging from "Janata Ke Darbar Me Mukhya Mantri" programme said if the director general of police recommends for awarding the Bihar police personnel involved in the arrest of Bhatkal and his associate Assadulla Akhtar alias Haddi from Raxual on Indo-Nepal border, the state government would definitely look into it positively.
In a scathing attack on estranged partner BJP, Kumar said, "They have become unemployed after being sacked from the government and in desperation is trying to derive political mileage out of any issue."
"Becoming expert of any issue has become a fashion among some leaders and party...on slight opportunity they start giving 'mahagyan' (expertise)," he said, taking a potshot at his former deputy Sushil Modi without naming him.
Giving reasons for not speaking on the arrest of IM operatives, the Bihar CM said from the beginning he has been maintaining that the government will not interfere with the working of police.
"The role of the political executive is not to give knowledge to the police how to solve a criminal case but to legislate law and keep an eye they do not violate the constitution," he said.
Asked that the 750 km unfenced Indo-Nepal border along Bihar has been witnessing rampant trade in fake currencies and movement of terrorists like Bhatkal and Haddi, Kumar said keeping this in mind the state government mooted the idea of a parallel high quality roads along Indo-Nepal borders and work has started on it.
"The Bihar government is bearing 50 per cent of the cost of this road project which will help in effective surveillance of borders with the Nepal," he added.
Kumar criticised the BJP for "making vulgar comments on him" and said "their frustration is over loosing job and comforts as minister."
"Mauj masti ke deen khatam ho gaya (days of merry making is over). Earlier, they used to observe weekened but now have to do running here and there even on Sunday in search of some political gains by criticising my government," he said.
"They are doing it after becoming unemployed (after being sacked from government) and will never get employment by doing so," he said.
On the Indian rupee losing its value against the United S dollar, Kumar said the nation is indeed facing economic crisis, which should be overcome as early as possible. The Bihar CM justified arrest of Asaram Bapu and said nobody is above law.