Opposition slams NDA over Nawada arson, demands justice for Dalit victims

The Nawada arson incident, in which multiple houses belonging to Dalit families were set on fire, has drawn widespread condemnation from opposition leaders across India. Prominent voices, including Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, have expressed their outrage, calling for justice and financial aid for the victims.

BSP Chief Mayawati, expressing her deep sadness over the incident, demanded that the central government provide financial assistance to the affected families. “The incident of burning down many houses of poor Dalits in Bihar’s Nawada by the goons and ruining their lives is extremely sad and serious. The government should take strict legal action against the culprits and also provide full financial help for the rehabilitation of the victims,” Mayawati posted on X (formerly Twitter).

RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav was fierce in his criticism, accusing the ruling NDA of perpetuating "Jungle Raj" in Bihar. "More than 100 houses of Dalits were set on fire in Nawada. There is fire all over Bihar under the rule of Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar. The poor are burnt, die – what do they care? Atrocities on Dalits will not be tolerated," Yadav wrote, pointing fingers at both the Bihar government and its NDA allies.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also condemned the incident, calling it yet another example of the deteriorating law and order situation under the "double engine" NDA government. He expressed concern for the safety of Dalits in Bihar, referring to the incident as "proof of the jungle raj of the NDA double engine government." Kharge emphasized that the government must take immediate action to restore justice and prevent such atrocities in the future.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also voiced his concern, describing the incident as a horrifying example of the injustice faced by Dalits. Gandhi criticized the silence of the central leadership, stating that such acts of violence against Bahujans are often ignored under the BJP-led government. He called for immediate and strict action against the culprits and urged the Bihar government to provide complete justice by rehabilitating the victim families.