Jitan Ram Manjhi takes swipe at Tejashwi over tribute gaffe

HAM(S) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi

Patna: Union minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi on Tuesday took a swipe at RJD national working president Tejashwi Prasad Yadav over his slip of tongue while paying tribute to ‘Mountain Man’ Dashrath Manjhi.At a tribute meeting organised at the RJD office here on Monday to mark Dashrath Manjhi’s 19th death anniversary, Tejashwi mistakenly referred to Jitan Ram Manjhi while paying tribute to the legendary “Mountain Man”. RJD functionaries present nearby pointed out the error, following which Tejashwi immediately corrected himself and named Dashrath Manjhi.Sharing a video of the incident on X on Tuesday, Jitan Ram Manjhi wondered whether Tejashwi’s utterance was result of any intoxication.The exchange came amid “Bharat Ratna” demands from both netas for Dashrath Manjhi. Tejashwi also demanded a large statue and an ashram in his name in Patna. He accused the NDA govt of using bulldozers to demolish poor people’s homes.Manjhi, meanwhile, said he would take up the “Bharat Ratna” demand with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said Dashrath Manjhi’s extraordinary 22-year effort to carve a road through a mountain had not received the recognition it deserved.