Patna, Jul 19 (PTI) Bihar’s Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kundan Krishnan, who recently stoked a controversy by linking the recent rise in violent crimes in the state to crop seasons, on Saturday apologised for his comments.
In a brief video message, the ADGP (Police Headquarters) said he had “great respect for those involved in farming” and blamed the controversy on “distorted” representation of his remarks.
Beginning his less than two minutes long message with “greetings to farmer brethren”, the 1994-batch IPS officer said “a portion of my statement at a recent press conference was reported in a distorted manner. I had never intended to say that farmers, the providers of our food (annadata), had anything to do with crime”.
“I have great respect for farmers, my ancestors have all been in the farming business. I maintain strong links with my roots, of which the farming community is a part. Still, if my statement has hurt any sentiments, I tender an apology,” said Krishnan.
He had, earlier this week, said that “between April and June”, there has always been a spurt in crime in Bihar, which has only “two crop seasons” and leaves farm hands without jobs during the period.
He had also said many such jobless farm hands used to take up “supari” (contract) killings for easy money and sought to buttress the point by citing figures from the previous years.
The opposition in the state took strong exception to the statement, alleging that the Nitish Kumar government was trying to come up with excuses for its failure to keep crime in check.
Meanwhile, Union minister Chirag Paswan reminded the main opposition party RJD of its own “dismal track record” while in power, but also ticked off Krishnan.
“Those who are crying hoarse over the recent murder inside a private hospital would do well to recall that in 1998, no less a person than a minister in their own government was gunned down in the state-run facility where he was undergoing medical treatment,” said the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president.
The Hajipur MP was referring to the assassination of Brij Bihari Prasad, a minister in the then state cabinet headed by Rabri Devi, in a bid to repulse the attacks on Nitish Kumar’s government following the killing of a murder convict who was out on parole for medical reasons.
Paswan, however, added, “Neither the incident of 1998, nor the one that took place recently, can be defended. The recent remark of an ADG was reprehensible. The attempt to pin the blame on farmers was just a cover-up.” PTI NAC SOM
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.