File photo: Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.
Former Bihar Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi today watched 'Manjhi - The Mountain Man,' a biopic that celebrates the feat of commoner Dasrath Manjhi, who carved a way out of a mountain after labouring for over 20 years.
He also made a scathing attack on former mentor and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and advised him to watch the film to see "what was happening" in his state under his leadership.
"The film will remove the black cloth from your (Nitish) eyes and show the actual plight of a poor person like Dasrath Manjhi under your government," he claimed.
Mr Manjhi accompanied by HAM state president Shakuni Chaudhary, former ministers in his Cabinet Nitish Mishra, Binay Bihari (also a Bhojpuri actor) and several other party leaders, saw the movie on the opening day of its release at the Cinepolis multiplex in Patna.
The HAM leader profusely praised the movie, which he said reflected the "cruel face of the society."
The Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer shows how deep the corruption has penetrated in the society, he said.
The film directed by Ketan Mehta holds a special importance for Mr Manjhi, as he hails from Gaya district like Mr Dasrath Manjhi did.
On several occasions Mr Jitan Ram Manjhi had mentioned the rare deed of Mr Dasrath Manjhi of carving out a road through a mountain in his native village Gehlaur in Gaya district after his ailing wife passed away, due to lack of access to the nearest hospital in Atri block, a distance of more than 7 km.
During his chief ministerial tenure, Mr Jitan Ram Manjhi had also mooted an idea of giving Bharat Ratna to Mr Dasrath Manjhi.