Patna, Feb 3 : Newly-appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Samrat Choudhary, played the Kushwaha card on Saturday as he said that no one can touch the people from his community.

Addressing a gathering during the birth anniversary celebrations of Jagdev Prasad in Bihar Sharif, Choudhary said: 'Sand, liquor and land mafias belong to other castes. The people from my caste (Kushwaha) are not involved in illegal practices. No one from our caste is a mafia. They are all simple people,' Choudhary said.

'I want to assure you that no one will do anything to you. If anyone touches people from the Kushwaha community, I will drop the last blood in my body to protect them. Jagdev Prasad may have been killed, but Samrat Choudhary is here to protect you.

'The BJP has appointed Deputy CMs from the Kushwaha community in three states. Three state Presidents also belong to the Kushwaha community, including in Bihar. Jagdev Prasad fought for the Kushwaha community, and I will continue the fight,' he said.

Choudhary is a prominent leader from the Kushwaha community. The BJP had made him the party's state unit chief last year with an intention to disturb the 'Lav-Kush' equation (Kurmi-Kushwaha) of Nitish Kumar.

/IANS