Both the main opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party and a section of netizens lampooned Deputy Chief Minister Modi, saying he should be ashamed for hosting such an event when the state is in the throes of a major crisis. Others described the government of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as inept, self-serving, inefficient and callous in taking emergency measures to alleviate the sufferings of those affected by the flood.
The opposition RJD in a tweet in Hindi lashed out at Modi, saying that he was watching a movie in a multiplex and enjoying a dinner.
— Rashtriya Janata Dal (@RJDforIndia) July 18, 2019
— farhan talib (@farhantalib79) July 18, 2019
— Yugal Kishor Sharma (@yugalkishor52) July 18, 2019
— Shah Rukh Khan(Khan Saab) (@khanshahrukh945) July 18, 2019
— Anil Singh (@AnilSin62344542) July 18, 2019
— ShravyCool (@ShravyC) July 18, 2019
— Shubham Raj (@shubham15raj) July 18, 2019
The death toll in the state as of Wednesday stood at 67. The floods and torrential rains have affected about 4.7 million people out of Bihar’s over 104 million population, media reports said.
Deputy Chief Minister Modi has also come under heavy criticism for meeting "Super 30" lead actor Hrithik Roshan and other cast members of the film, which is based on the life and struggles of mathematician Anand Kumar, best known for his Super 30 programme. Kumar acquired fame for coaching underprivileged students for the tough entrance examination of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). By 2018, 422 out of 480 students that he had trained gained admission into IITs.
The opposition RJD has said that it is the duty and responsibility of the incumbent state government to give time to the flood-stricken people of Bihar, and not being photographed with a Bollywood actor.
It has also urged India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the floods in Bihar a national disaster and provide necessary relief and launch a rescue mission.
Bihar, which is governed by a coalition government, has been under fire for quite some time. Last month, it was hauled up for its inept handling of the encephalitis crisis that claimed the lives of over 150 children, and now it is being criticised for its shortcomings in dealing with the floods.
