90% of men in Bihar date other men's wives, says Jitan Ram Manjhi

Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi might be struggling for support in the current political crisis in Bihar but that apparently does not stop him from making controversial and absurd remarks. [caption id=“attachment_2103589” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi said 90 percent of men date married women. IBNLive[/caption] Manjhi not only said that over 90 percent of men date married women but also said that there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. “Only 2-5 percent men go on outings with their wives. Others go out on dates with other men’s wives. There is nothing wrong in having a girlfriend. If you go to Patna’s Eco park it’s not only unmarried people who are hanging out together. If both the man and the woman are adults and their relationship is consensual, there is nothing wrong in having an affair. This a personal choice,” India Today quoted the Bihar Chief Minister as saying. This is not the first time, however, that Manjhi has made absurd statements. According to another India Today report, he admitted to taking bribes from engineers. “More money is spent on the construction of pillars than the bridge…these engineers and technocrats who have stacked crores of rupees give some money to contractors and to me too…I also get commission,” Manjhi said, according to the report. In September 2014, Manjhi had stirred up controversy when he had said that hoarding and black marketing of goods by small traders will not be treated as a crime and asked them not to worry about such activities. “I am aware that small traders indulge in hoarding and black marketing of goods to make profit in order to sustain their families and educate their children,” Manjhi had said. “You please don’t worry about your activities as the state government will not punish you for hoarding and black marketing on small scale.” Continuing in the same vein, he had said that hoarding and black marketing by the small traders have had no impact on demand and supply of goods in market as the quantity of goods being hoarded by the traders was insignificant in volume. Manjhi’s remarks about men dating women outside their marriage come at a time when even the BJP is now reportedly unwilling to support him during the upcoming floor test on 20 February, during which Manjhi will have to prove his majority to continue as the Bihar Chief Minister. The dispute between Manjhi and former Bihar CM Nitish Kumar erupted when Nitish was elected the leader of the JD(U) Legislature Party at a meeting called by party President Sharad Yadav to replace Manjhi as Chief Minister of Bihar. Manjhi had refused to resign and alleged that the meeting called was illegal. Nitish retorted by saying that Manjhi did not enjoy support of majority of the members of the Bihar Assembly and needed to step down. With the floor test to finally decide on the post of Bihar CM now three days away, it might do Manjhi some good to realise that making statements about men dating married women and then justifying the same might not help him gather the much-needed support. (With inputs from PTI)