PATNA: Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is on a rampage. Within days of the top JD(U) leadership talking him down to desist from making controversial statements, Manjhi on Wednesday questioned the "morality" of women whose husbands have been working outside the state after marriage for years. After his remark that "upper castes" were foreigners, his latest comment could invite summary action from Nitish Kumar.

"Everyone knows what these women do as their husbands remain outside after marriage," Manjhi said at a function at Jhajhwa Pakdi village in Gopalganj district on Wednesday. The CM hoped the migration of workers from villages would stop with the launch of government-sponsored programmes.

Regarding his statement about upper castes, Manjhi on Thursday said it was based on historical facts. "I'm firm on my statement," he told the media. "I didn't say anything wrong."

READ ALSO: Upper caste people are foreigners, says Bihar CM Manjhi

But JD(U) national secretary general K C Tyagi said the party took strong exception to Manjhi's remarks and might not hesitate from taking action against him. "Manjhi was made the CM to carry on development works in Bihar on the road map set by former CM Nitish Kumar," Tyagi said. "He was not asked to rewrite Indian history. It's not his job. His statements are damaging the party image. He is crossing the limits."

JD(U) spokesman Niraj Kumar, too, came out against the CM's statements. "The party disagrees with Manjhi's utterances," he said. "His remarks have upset a section of society, which the party supremo Nitish Kumar has disapproved of." Kumar, himself an upper caste, said he was not a "foreigner".

"The CM has indulged in the character assassination of thousands of women," Gopalganj BJP MLA Subhas Singh told TOI over the phone. "He's behaving like an abnormal person. He has insulted women at large. He should avoid taking tips from former chief minister Nitish Kumar as he admitted three days ago."

Reacting sharply to Manjhi's statement about upper castes in West Champaran district on Tuesday, Mokama JD(U) MLA Anant Singh said: "Manjhi is speaking like a mad person. He has lost his mental balance. He was made CM while ignoring the claims of deserving candidates. Nitish should take over the chair from him. It's in the interest of Bihar that Manjhi resigns immediately."

Former BJP national vice-president and Rajya Sabha member Dr C P Thakur said Manjhi was twisting historical facts. "In the Rig Veda, there's no mention of shudras," Thakur said. "Shudras also have the same rights as dwijanam (second birth) like upper castes as claimed by B R Ambedkar. During the Vedic period, King Sudas was a shudra who was considered the protector of Swami Vishwamitra. It's absolutely wrong to say upper castes were invaders."

