NEW DELHI: Bihar chief minister Samrat Chaudhary on Tuesday drew criticism for saying that “crime might happen in the state, but not apradh (also meaning crime in Hindi)” – a distinction that opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav seized on to mock him.Choudhary made the remark while addressing an event marking an agreement between the Union ministry of road transport and highways and the Bihar government on river water management.“There is no apradh here. The concept of apradh has ended. Crime may happen, but not apradh. There are no criminals,” he reportedly said.Reacting to the statement, Tejashwi questioned the IAS and IPS officers present on the stage with the chief minister, asking whether they felt “honoured or humiliated” to work with him.“In Bihar, ‘crime’ may happen, but not ‘apradh’! My dear fellow countrymen, this is being said by a sample accused in seven murders, the chief minister selected by Modi ji. Do the IAS/IPS officers sitting on the stage feel honoured or humiliated to be working with these people?” Tejashwi said in a post on X.

“Has Narendra Modi ji taken a contract to ruin Bihar through this man?” he added.Choudhary also spoke about Bihar’s development and industrial growth, saying the state had lost 87% of its revenue to Jharkhand after the latter was carved out of Bihar.He said the government had decided to restart mining operations and ensure supplies within 30 days of an order. He identified population and water as Bihar’s two biggest weaknesses.Referring to the agreement being signed under the leadership of Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, Choudhary said effective management of river water could help Bihar overcome its challenges. He added that if the state managed its river resources properly, “the fear would be 100% over”.