The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has raised strong objections following a recent government decision to reduce the security cover of Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, accusing the ruling coalition in Bihar of political vendetta and suppression of dissent. The controversy erupted after state authorities downgraded Tejashwi Yadav’s security from a higher category to Y+ protection, while some ruling party leaders received upgraded security levels.
RJD spokesperson Ejaz Ahmed alleged that the move is not a routine administrative action but part of a deliberate attempt to weaken the political opposition ahead of planned protests and campaigns. He said the reduction in security was orchestrated to intimidate the opposition and dilute Tejashwi Yadav’s effectiveness in raising key public issues such as employment, development, women’s safety and law and order. According to party leaders, the timing of the decision — coming amid heightened political tensions and public scrutiny — suggests a strategy to distract from pressing governance issues.
The RJD’s criticism also pointed to the fact that several leaders from the ruling bloc were granted higher protection at the same time, a contrast they say reflects preferential treatment based on political alignment, not threat assessment. The party claims that such actions could undermine democratic norms by making opposition figures feel vulnerable when holding the government accountable.
Government officials have defended the security review as based on threat assessment by relevant agencies, but the political dispute continues to escalate, with opposition leaders demanding transparency in how security categorizations are determined.
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