JD(U) MLA's 'chop off tongue' comments draw criticism

Patna/Bhagalpur: Remarks of a ruling JD(U) MLA that he will "chop off the tongue" of people trying to threaten his supporters, has triggered strong reactions from the Opposition as well as coalition partners on Tuesday.

JD(U) MLA from Gopalpur in Bhagalpur district Gopal Mandal had come down heavily on his opponents at a function organised sin connection with a cricket match on Sunday last at Naughachia bazar and said "I will chop off the tongue of people trying to threaten my supporters."

In support of his assertions, he had said "one of my legs remain in jail and the other outside."

Reports from Bhagalpur said the Legislator's assertions came in the wake of Opponents playing up his tiff with one Phaktu Pandit recently.

When Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was asked by reporters to comment on the JD(U) MLA's assertions, he shrugged off the question.

But, the Opposition has used the incident to attack the grand secular alliance.

Senior BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav said the incident reflects the state of affairs under grand secular alliance government.

"All I will say is 'Janata past aur Nitish ke Vidhayak mast' (people are frightened and Nitish Kumar's MLAs are happy)," Yadav told reporters.

The comments were also not taken well by the alliance partners.

Congress state president and minister Ashok Choudhary told reporters "People's representatives should be careful and maintain decency in choice of words."

RJD MLA Rahul Tiwari said the comments manifested feudal mindset.

This is not for the first time that the JD(U) MLA from Gopalpur has landed into controversy. In the initial days of the grand secular alliance coming to power, he had threatened a Deputy Superintendent of Police level officer to throw him in the Ganges from Naugachia road bridge for stopping his car, which had jumped queue during a traffic snarl in December last.