Bihar Government says will probe into foreigners’ visit to Gopalganj during 1990-2015; Opposition protests over ‘deteriorating’ law and order situation

Bihar Government to investigate foreign nationals' visits amid opposition protests over worsening law and order and rising crime rates.

The Bihar Government asserted in the Legislative Assembly on Monday (February 9, 2026) that it would conduct a thorough investigation into the arrival of 173 foreign nationals in Gopalganj district on “missionary visas” between 1990 and 2015. Of these visitors, 168 were from Pakistan and the others from Britain, Russia, and Uzbekistan, the government said in the ongoing Budget Session of the State Legislature.

Meanwhile, Opposition members protested both inside and outside the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council over various issues such as deteriorating law and order situation, surge in rape and death cases, arrest of Independent MP from Purnea Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav in a 1995 forgery caseand issues of development.

Leader of the Opposition in Council Rabri Devi from Rashtriya Janata Dal and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were engaged in a verbal duel during the protest. Mr. Kumar’s microphone had allegedly gone mute for some time while he was speaking in the legislative council. However, his party member Ashok Choudhary vehemently denied that it happened. “Who has that much of audacity to mute Mr. Kumar’s microphone from saying what he wants to say?” asked Mr. Choudhary.

In the Assembly, Mithilesh Tiwary, BJP MLA from Baikunthpur in Gopalganj district, raised the issue of the visit of foreign nationals to the district. Demanding a probe into the matter, he wondered why so many foreign nationals on “religious visa”, a majority of them from Pakistan, visited a district like Gopalganj, where, except the Durga temple at Thawe, there was no other famous religious place to visit. “We must know what the purpose of their visit was? Pakistan is not a friendly country to us. The government should conduct a probe into the issue thoroughly,” Mr. Tiwary demanded.

Earlier, while raising the issue, the BJP MLA said that most visitors from Pakistan were from Karachi and Rawalpindi and asked if the foreign nationals visiting Gopalganj were involved in anti-India activities. Pronto, he added that there had been a spurt in religious conversion in the district since 1990. “The government should investigate their visit from all angles; where did they stay and spend how much money? If this is the situation in just one district, one can imagine what it would be like in all 38 districts of Bihar?” Mr. Tiwary wondered.

Replying to the starred question of the BJP MLA, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who holds the Home department, said, “As per the information with the government, out of total 173 foreign nationals who visited Gopalganj during 1990-2015, as many as 168 were from Pakistan and others from countries such as Russia, Britain and Uzbekistan.” He added, “Since the honourable MLA has expressed concern about it, the government will get it thoroughly investigated: whether they were involved in any crime or indulged in some other work despite arriving as a tourist?”