Mango blues: Manjhi bemoans his inability to enjoy 'fruits' of power

Four months after being unceremoniously removed as Bihar chief minister, Jitan Ram Manjhi has charged his successor Nitish Kumar with deploying 24 cops at his residence so that no one from his family can pluck a mango.

“At least 24 policemen, including eight sub-inspectors (SIs) and 16 constables have been specifically deployed to guard the 100 trees of mango and litchi in the orchard,” said Manjhi, who is still residing in 1, Aney Marg, the official residence of the chief minister.

Manjhi, who quit in February after failing to muster support of his legislators, has been served notice to vacate the official bungalow spread over five-acre-campus.

Though Nitish holds his Janata Durbar from the courtyard of 1, Aney Marg, he has not been able to shift to the residence as his predecessor is still occupying it in an unauthorised manner.

However, the war of words between the two leaders escalated after Manjhi alleged that he could not enjoy the fruit from his orchard.  “A gardener recently plucked some fruit on the order of Mataji (Manjhi’s wife). He was taken to Nitish’s residence at 7, Circular Road, and admonished. Nitish’s aide even got the gardener transferred from 1, Aney Marg, and a verbal order was issued that no one from Manjhi’s family should be allowed to pluck fruit or vegetables,” said Manjhi’s son-in-law Devendra Manjhi.

Nitish, however, said: “I am busy taking care of Awam (people). I don’t have time for Aam (mango). I have asked the DGP to enquire how and why so many cops have been deployed there.”

The BJP was quick to take a potshot at the chief minister. “Nitish should take care of aam aadmi (common man), instead of aam (mango). At a time, when there has been spurt in crime, cops are deployed to take care of fruit. It would have yielded positive result if cops were deployed to maintain law and order,” said BJP spokesperson and former Union minister Shahnawaz Hussain.