BJP slams Prashant Kishor for ‘shoot’ remark against Bihar CM

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has sparked a political row in Bihar after a video of his remarks from a 10 October campaign event for the MLC elections went viral. In the video, Kishor is heard saying that if criminals have to be shot dead, there is no bigger criminal than Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary. He also questioned Chaudhary's educational qualifications and alleged criminal antecedents, and criticised the government's approach to dealing with criminals, which he called an 'encounter raj'.

The BJP on 16 October condemned the remarks, with Bihar BJP president Prem Ranjan Patel (as reported by India Today) and Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi (as reported by the Times of India) separately demanding a public apology. Patel said political differences in a democracy did not justify language suggesting violence or threats. Saraogi called the remarks irresponsible and contrary to democratic norms, and accused Kishor of damaging Bihar's image. He also questioned Jan Suraaj's funding and Kishor's political record.