YouTuber Manish Kashyap outside court in Patna meeting his mother (ETV Bharat)
On September 22, a video surfaced on social media featuring Manish Kashyap, a YouTuber based in Bihar, who has been incarcerated for the past six months. In the video, he vehemently criticized the Bihar government, accusing the jail authorities of mistreating him, allegedly under the influence of CM Nitish Kumar.
Infuriated by the arbitrary action he has been facing at the hands of the Bihar police, the Youtuber declared that no matter how hard the Bihar government tries to break him, he will not buckle under the pressure.
The now-viral video was filmed outside a Patna court, where he was brought in on September 22.
Bihar-based YouTuber Kashyap was apprehended in March this year in connection with the dissemination of ‘fake videos’ depicting assaults on Bihar migrant workers in Tamil Nadu. He was charged with the stringent National Security Act (NSA) and is presently held at the Beur jail in Patna, Bihar.
Upon seeing his mother, Madhu Devi, waiting outside the court to meet him, Kashyap initially displays visible emotion. He addresses the press, stating, “Today, there are tears in my mother’s eyes, but I promise, once I’m out of here, I will wipe the tears of lakhs of mothers.”
Kashyap challenged the Bihar government saying, “I am the son of an armyman. My father and grandfather both served in the army. I will die but not bend before them. They have handcuffed an innocent person. I have reacted in the last 6 months but now I shall not keep quiet. I will get scared, won’t buckle under the pressure,”
Questioning Bihar’s former CM Lalu Yadav, Kashyap said, “I am not the son of a fodder thief, my father and grandfather served the country. My grandfather fought against China, while my father battled against the Pakistani army. When they did not get scared, what made them think that I would get scared of these netas (leaders), that too in our independent country and the independent state of Bihar?
When asked about the Bihar government’s responsibility to take action against those who mistreated Bihari labourers in Tamil Nadu, Kashyap expressed frustration, questioning whether the Bihar police truly had the resolve to confront them. He challenged, “If they do, let them apprehend the perpetrators, bring them here, and incarcerate them.”
Adding to his criticism of the Bihar administration’s selective approach, Kashyap highlighted the destruction of a Rs 1700 crore bridge in Bhagalpur and the tragic demise of a sub-inspector in Samastipur. He questioned why the Nitish government had not taken any action in these instances.
Furthermore, he took aim at Tejashwi Yadav, asserting that the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar openly maligns other caste communities while advocating for the Yadav caste. Yet, Kashyap noted, Yadav remains conspicuously silent when members of his own community become victims of caste-based violence in Bihar.
Adding to his grievances about his confinement in Patna’s Beur jail, the YouTuber described the prevalent issue of narcotics and contraband smuggling with the collusion of prison officials as an old problem in Bihar. He expressed his frustration at being housed alongside drug addicts who intentionally blew smoke in his face, causing him headaches.
Kashyap pointed out that, in his view, the lower-ranking police officers in the state are generally honest, whereas those with higher ranks (one or two stars) tend to be more corrupt. He observed a trend where junior officers face suspensions, while their senior counterparts evade disciplinary action.
Reflecting on the state of affairs in Bihar, Kashyap highlighted the dilapidated condition of police vans parked outside the court, emphasizing their urgent need for repairs. He recounted an incident where the van he was in had abruptly stopped on the road, requiring bystanders to physically assist due to its load of nearly 60 detainees.
The YouTuber anticipated that more FIRs might be filed against him in an attempt to silence him. He criticized the Bihar government for allegedly prioritizing his suppression over addressing the attacks and killings of Bihar workers in Tamil Nadu.
Expressing concern for the safety of individuals in Bihar, particularly journalists, Kashyap called upon President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to relocate his case outside Bihar or Tamil Nadu, as he believed he wouldn’t receive a fair trial in those regions. He also remarked on how the liquor ban had allegedly transformed Bihar’s youth into addicts.
It’s important for readers to know that, recently, Madhu Devi, the mother of YouTuber Kashyap, penned a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, expressing concerns about the application of the National Security Act (NSA) against her son by the Tamil Nadu police. This action was taken on grounds of alleged instigation of tensions between two states. She pointed out the lack of similar action against DMK leader and state minister Udhaynidhi Stalin, who had called for the “eradication of Sanatan Dharma,” a stance seen as a more significant threat to national security.
Kashyap’s mother urged that if the constitution is indeed the same for all, then Udhaynidhi Stalin should also be subject to NSA proceedings. Additionally, she called for an independent committee, appointed by the Supreme Court, to investigate the video concerning the migrant Bihari labourers.
On March 18 earlier this year, YouTuber Kashyap, also known as Tripurari Kumar Tiwari, was apprehended by the police in Bihar in relation to alleged assaults on migrant workers in Tamil Nadu. A specialized team from the Tamil Nadu police transported him to the southern state on a transit remand after a case was filed against him by the Madurai Crime Branch police.
At the time, it was reported that Kashyap had shared a ‘false video’ depicting attacks on Bihar migrant workers in Tamil Nadu, which gained significant traction on social media. However, it was later revealed that the video was fabricated by the prime suspect, Rakesh Ranjan Kumar, a resident of Gopalganj district who was residing in rented accommodation in Patna. Subsequently, the Tamil Nadu police invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against Kashyap. Despite making multiple attempts for bail, he has remained in custody since then.
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