Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav put the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government again in the dock on Friday by releasing a list of 20 rapes and gangrapes in the past couple of weeks in Bihar.

The move comes a day after Tejashwi circulated a list of 143 incidents of serious crimes that were committed in different parts of the state this month. Of the 20 incidents of sexual violence he mentioned, 10 relate to the rape or gangrape of minors. He has also listed the rape of a woman at Samastipur Junction.

RJD leaders said that he would be relentless in cornering the government over the deteriorating law-and-order situation and the rising fear among the public.

“What will you call these sad, shameful and soul-wrenching incidents of sexual assault in the mangal raj (welfare rule) of Modi and Nitish? The people of Bihar know that expecting any action or statement from the inactive chief minister will be to keep themselves in the dark,” Tejashwi said.

Tejashwi, the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, is currently visiting Dubai with his family. However, his attacks on the Nitish government indicate that his focus has been unwaveringly on the state.

By taking up the cause of the continuously rising crime graph in which the common men, professionals, businessmen and entrepreneurs are the victims, the RJD leader has been trying to counter the jungle raj allegations often levelled by the NDA to attack his party’s rule in the state from 1990 to 2005.

Moreover, the Bihar Assembly polls are due in October-November next year and the younger son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad has been aiming to tap into the fear of the common people over rising crimes.

Though Tejashwi had released similar lists of crimes and falling bridges earlier this year, the new ones appear to have made Nitish’s Janata Dal United (JDU) and its allies, including the BJP, jittery.

“It is a shrewd move by him (Tejashwi). It is true that Bihar is grappling with rising crime and the general perception about the rule of law in the state has gone for a toss. There is anger and angst among the people and Tejashwi is trying to exploit it in his favour. He is trying to prove that there is jungle raj here right now,” a senior BJP leader told The Telegraph on the condition of anonymity.

“The government must do two things. It should first crack down on crime and instill fear among criminals. Secondly, it should counter the narrative being spun by Tejashwi,” the BJP leader added.