(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) Janata Dal (United) senior leader K.C. Tyagi on Sunday hit out at Congress, questioning its alliance with the Shiv Sena and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), while accusing the Maharashtra-based party of targeting Hindi-speaking people.

His remarks came in response to the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi's, recent statement calling Bihar the“crime capital” of India and atrocities being committed against Hindi-speaking people in Maharashtra.

“Congress must make it clear, are they with the people of Bihar or with Shiv Sena? Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena are committing atrocities against Hindi-speaking people in Maharashtra. The Congress cannot have it both ways,” Tyagi told IANS.

On LoP Rahul Gandhi's“crime capital” remark, Tyagi reminded the Congress leader of Bihar's turbulent past under Lalu Yadav's rule.

“Rahul Gandhi was very young in 1990-91 when migration from Bihar was at its peak. Businessmen, labourers - all were fleeing the state. It was a time of lawlessness. Today, the situation is very different,” he said.

Responding to the RJD's demand for Nitish Kumar's resignation over the Gopal Khemka murder case, Tyagi defended the Bihar Chief Minister as“a popular leader elected by the people's mandate.”

He added,“Elections are around the corner, and there is a real challenge before Tejaswi Yadav. That's why these issues are being raised now.”

Notably, Khemka's murder has created political controversy in the poll-bound state of Bihar, with opposition attacking Nitish Kumar for being a 'puppet' Chief Minister.

The Congress on Saturday also demanded a special session of the State Assembly to discuss the breakdown of law and order.

With Bihar heading into a high-stakes electoral season, Tyagi's comments are a sharp attempt to consolidate pro-Nitish sentiment while drawing attention to Congress's conflicting political alignments across states.

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