Bihar govt has destroyed law and order: Nityananad Rai on Anganwadi workers' protest

New Delhi [India], November 7 (ANI): Slamming the Bihar government over use of water cannon to disperse Anganwadi protestors outside Bihar Assembly, Union Minister Nityanand Rai said that this government has destroyed law and order in the state.
The Bihar police on Tuesday used water cannon to disperse the agitators. In the chaos, an Anganwadi worker fainted as the police continued lathicharge and used water cannon against the workers.
"The Bihar government of Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav has become a government of 'lathi and goli'. Intense water cannon was used on Anganwadi workers (to disperse them) which is a crime against women. They went there to put forth their demands from the state government as per their democratic right. This government has destroyed law and order. They have committed a huge crime by doing such an act," Nityanand Rai said.
"BJP will not tolerate it," he added.
Anganwadi workers have been demanding an increase in their honorarium and status of a government employee. The workers said that they have five demands from the state government, of which the status of a government employee and an increase in honorarium is the utmost priority.
The Anganwadi workers claimed, the Supreme Court had also directed to give the workers benefit of gratuity but the Bihar Government was not considering it.
"Who can survive on Rs 5000?". This is how we are treated when we ask for our rights. Unless we get paid like a government worker, we won't stop protesting", one of the protestor said.
Justifying the use of water cannons on agitators, RJD MP Manoj Jha said, "In a democracy, everyone has the right to put their demands in front of the government and the government should also pay attention to their demands. The use of water cannons is the least a government can do against the protesters. The current Bihar government takes the demands of the people seriously and discussions". (ANI)