Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has once again hit the headlines but this time for a different reason. He recently found himself at the center of controversy after a video of him laughing and talking during the national anthem at a sports event in Patna went viral on social media platforms. The incident has sparked fierce criticism from the opposition parties.
Tejashwi Yadav Criticises Nitish Kumar
Former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav has accused Kumar of insulting the state. He posted his video on his X handle, stating, “At least please do not insult the national anthem, Hon’ble Chief Minister. You insult youth, students, women, and elderly people every day. Sometimes they clap on Mahatma Gandhi’s martyrdom day and mock his martyrdom, and sometimes they clap on the national anthem!” He further asked him ‘not to insult Bihar like this again and again.’
कम से कम कृपया राष्ट्र गान का तो अपमान मत करिए मा॰ मुख्यमंत्री जी।
युवा, छात्र, महिला और बुजुर्गों को तो आप प्रतिदिन अपमानित करते ही है।
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PS: आपको याद दिला दें कि आप एक बड़े प्रदेश… pic.twitter.com/rFDXcGxRdV
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) March 20, 2025
Bihar CM Seen Tapping IAS Officer’s Shoulder
In the viral video, the Chief Minister was spotted laughing and talking with IAS Officer Deepak Kumar, who was standing next to him on stage at the inauguration event of the Sepaktakraw World Cup in Patna’s Pataliputra Sports Complex on Thursday, March 20, 2025. He was seen tapping the officer’s shoulder and even folding his palms to do ‘namaskar’ to someone in the audience. Meanwhile, the officer was stopping him from moving while the national anthem was playing.
Lalu Prasad Yadav Condemns Nitish Kumar
The video also drew criticism from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. He condemned Kumar’s actions saying, “Disrespect of the national anthem. India will not tolerate this. People of Bihar, is there still anything left?” As soon as the video went viral, netizens and opposition leaders have called out the Chief Minister for his actions.
