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Bihar’s flood crisis has affected nearly 50 lakh people, but the rising waters have also triggered a political storm. Why are Manoj Tiwari and other leaders facing questions?
Bihar Floods: Amid the worsening flood situation, BJP MP and Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari has become the subject of criticism on social media.
Patna News: More than 49 lakh people across 15 districts of Bihar were affected by floods on September 14 as heavy rain over the past few days caused several rivers to swell further, with the Ganga, Kosi, Budhi Gandak, Punpun, Bagmati and Ghaghara flowing above danger marks at several locations.
According to the Disaster Management Department, around 49.36 lakh people had been affected across Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Buxar, Samastipur, Munger, Katihar, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Purnea, Madhepura and Araria. The local weather office said Bihar had received 111.7 mm of rainfall in September as of September 14, around 13% above normal. Officials attributed the swelling of rivers partly to continuous rainfall in their catchment areas in Nepal, along with heavy rain within Bihar.
At Sultanganj in Bhagalpur, the Ganga was reportedly flowing at 36.21 metres at 6 am on September 14, which was 1.71 metres above the danger level. The Kosi was above the danger mark at Baltara and Kursela, while the Ganga was also above the mark at Digha, Gandhi Ghat, Hathidah, Bhagalpur, Kahalgaon and Munger.
The administration was operating 1,260 community kitchens and 13 relief camps, with around 11,060 people provided accommodation, food, medical care and other essential services. Twenty-seven State Disaster Response Force teams and 10 National Disaster Response Force teams had also been deployed for relief and rescue operations.
The Gandak barrage at Valmiki Nagar recorded a discharge of 90,600 cusecs at 10 am on September 14, with the trend rising. At the Kosi Barrage in Birpur, the discharge stood at 1,51,015 cusecs, compared with this year’s peak of 2,55,425 cusecs recorded on July 20.
Manoj Tiwari Faces Social Media Questions Amid Flood Crisis
Amid the worsening flood situation, BJP MP and Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari has also become the subject of criticism on social media. Videos circulating online show people questioning the visibility of political leaders during the floods and contrasting their presence during election campaigns with their alleged absence during the disaster. Some of the posts specifically question Tiwari’s response to the situation in Bihar.
The discussion has also coincided with increased attention on Tiwari’s daughter, Rhiti Tiwari, who is currently appearing on Bigg Boss 20. Recent reports have focused on Rhiti’s comments on the show about receiving threats and the pressure associated with being the daughter of a prominent public figure.
Tejashwi Yadav Targets Centre And Bihar Government
The flood crisis has also intensified the political confrontation between the opposition and governments at the Centre and in Bihar. According to a report by Daily Pioneer, Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has demanded that the floods be declared a national disaster and sought Rs 5,000 crore in central assistance for relief, rescue and rehabilitation. He has also accused the Centre of providing inadequate support to Bihar and criticised Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Union ministers from the state for not securing additional assistance.
On September 13, Yadav alleged that Bihar was receiving what he described as “stepmotherly” treatment in flood relief and questioned the response of the Centre and the state government. These are Yadav’s allegations, rather than independently established findings.
He had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 7 seeking national-disaster status for the floods and immediate financial assistance of Rs 5,000 crore.
Pappu Yadav Questions Opposition’s Role In Flood Relief
Independent MP Pappu Yadav has taken a different line of criticism, targeting Tejashwi Yadav over the opposition’s role during the disaster. Yadav questioned what the opposition was expected to do during a disaster and challenged Tejashwi over his presence in flood-affected areas. He also questioned why helicopters used during election campaigns could not be used to reach people affected by floods.
Pappu Yadav has separately criticised the Bihar government over the flood response, with recent reports quoting him as describing the disaster as “man-made” and “politician-made”.
Samrat Choudhary Faces Questions Over The State’s Flood Response
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has also been at the centre of the political debate, particularly after criticism from Tejashwi Yadav over the state’s relief arrangements. The Bihar government, however, has continued to announce relief measures. On September 15, Choudhary transferred Rs 579.23 crore to 8.27 lakh flood-affected families, with each eligible family receiving Rs 7,000.
CM Choudhary said Bihar was facing severe flooding despite receiving less than 30% of its annual rainfall so far, attributing the situation partly to heavy rainfall in neighbouring states and Nepal’s river catchment areas. He also directed district magistrates to prepare detailed damage reports.
A central team led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is scheduled to visit Bihar on September 16 to assess the flood situation and damage. Choudhary said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had informed him about the proposed visit.
Lalu Prasad Yadav Also Trains His Guns On Centre And State
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has also entered the political debate over the floods, criticising both the Centre and the Bihar government and calling for a permanent solution to flooding linked to rivers flowing from Nepal.
His remarks included demands for funds for river maintenance and renewed attention to the management of Bihar’s water resources. He has also raised the issue of Bihar’s interests in relation to the Farakka agreement, as reported by Hindustan Times.
The debate has drawn a response from Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Choudhary, who accused the earlier RJD-led Bihar government and the then United Front government at the Centre of ignoring Bihar’s interests while the 1996 India-Bangladesh Ganga water-sharing agreement was being negotiated.
Centre Steps Up Response As Flood Debate Intensifies
The Centre has now moved towards a formal assessment of the damage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed the formation of a central team, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan set to lead the visit to Bihar.
The flood situation has therefore developed on two parallel fronts: thousands of personnel and relief facilities are being deployed on the ground, whilepolitical parties and leaders continue to trade allegations over the scale and adequacy of the response.
With nearly 50 lakh people affected across 15 districts, the immediate focus remains on rescue, food, shelter and medical assistance, even as the political debate over Bihar’s recurring flood problem grows louder.
Quick Answers
Ask News18BJP MP and Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari is trending due to social media criticism questioning the visibility of political leaders during the floods, contrasting their presence during election campaigns with their absence during the disaster. This discussion has also coincided with increased attention on his daughter, Rhiti Tiwari, who is currently appearing on Bigg Boss 20 and has commented on the show about receiving threats and the pressure of being the daughter of a prominent public figure.
Ask News18September 16, 2026, 12:36 IST
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