Patna, Nov 23 (IANS) Bihar’s main opposition party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has decided to support the day-long statewide strike call given by the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML) Tuesday to protest the Nitish Kumar government’s alleged failure on all fronts after being in power for four years.
The CPI(ML) strike is to protest and expose the Nitish Kumar government that will complete four years Tuesday Nov 24, party leaders said.

The RJD state president Abdul Bari Siddiqui here Monday announced that the party has decided to support the strike call given by the CPI(ML).

“We have directed party workers and leaders in districts and blocks to support the strike,” Siddiqui said after releasing a people’s ‘chargesheet’ against the Nitish Kumar government.

The chargesheet highlights the government’s alleged failure on all fronts in the state, he explained.

The chargesheet said that developments were only on paper and crime and corruption have reached an unprecedented level in the state.

“The chargesheet exposes massive corruption in Indira Awaas Yojana, NREGA, public distribution system, irregularities in ration and kerosene distribution, and indiscretion in old age pension and mid-day meal, among others,” Siddiqui said.

Earlier the CPI(ML) strike was supported by the four Left parties - Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Forward Block and RSP.

The CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya told IANS that the party was confident of the strike’s success.

He said that the people, particularly the poorest of the poor were left in the lurch by the Nitish Kumar government in the last four years.

Last month the CPI(ML) gave a strike call demanding the implementation of land reforms following recommendations of D. Bandyopadhyay Commission report. Other demands include implementation of common school system and a check on corruption in the public distribution system.

In view of the strike, elaborate security arrangements have been made in the state, police said.

“Security forces will be deployed at all sensitive pockets, national highway and railway tracks during the strike,” a police officer said.