Swami Agnivesh has held Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar responsible for the murder of a constable by Maoists on Thursday.
Speaking to rediff.com on Friday, he said, "Nitish Kumar would have to shoulder the blame of unfortunate killing of a constable.".
Asked if he condemned the gruesome killing, Agnivesh said that chief minister should have responded on the first day itself to save the abducted cops' lives.
Agnivesh cited how six hardcore terrorists were released in exchange of the then home minister Mufti Mohammad's daughter Dr Rubaiya Sadeed in 1989.
"The then prime minister V P Singh ensured safe and early release of Dr Sayeed. If they could release Pakistan-based hardcore terrorists, why the same cannot be done now," he asked.
"If a close relative of Nitish Kumar had been held hostage, the state's reaction would have a different," said Agnivesh.