Bihar: Jitan Ram Manjhi threatens to give up cabinet berth, causes flutter
Patna (PTI): Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi caused a flutter after he threatened to give up his cabinet berth, alleging that his Hindustani Awam Morcha was not getting a square deal in the NDA ahead of the Bihar assembly polls due later this year.
The former Bihar chief minister made the statement on Tuesday at a public meeting in Munger district, where he voiced anguish over his party not being taken into account by the BJP-led coalition in seat-sharing arrangements.
"We got nothing in Jharkhand and Delhi. It may be said that I did not make any demand. But is it justice? I was overlooked because I had no standing in these states. So we must prove our worth in Bihar,” Manjhi said.
Quoting a verse from the Ramayana which implies that often fear begets respect, the 80-year-old leader remarked "it seems I will have to resign from the cabinet".
The temperamental leader also added in the same breath "some may say I am fighting with the NDA. But, the leadership of Narendra Modi has been such that there is no question of a revolt. I am making a plea, not indulging in a confrontation".
Manjhi, who is the lone MP of his party that has four MLAs in the 243-strong assembly, also disclosed that he wanted "40 seats" for the Hindustani Awam Morcha in the Bihar assembly polls.
"If our party returns with a tally of even 20, we will be able to get our demands fulfilled," said the former CM, who insisted that he was not pursuing any personal ambitions but eyeing a better deal for ‘Bhuiyan-Musahar’, a Dalit community to which he belongs.
He also said that the Nitish Kumar government in the state, in which his son Santosh Suman is a minister, "has done many good things" but promises he made to the depressed classes during his less-than-a-year-long tenure as CM were yet to be fulfilled.
This is the second occasion, in the recent past, when Manjhi has made public his dissatisfaction with the NDA. On Sunday, he had said in Jehanabad that his party was "cheated" in Delhi and Jharkhand.
Sources in the NDA made light of the remarks of Manjhi, who had quit the coalition in 2018 and joined the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ helmed by the RJD, only to return a couple of years later.
The sources were also of the view that Manjhi's outbursts stemmed from a feeling that his cabinet colleague Chirag Paswan, another Dalit leader from Bihar who heads the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), was stealing the limelight.
Meanwhile, RJD spokesperson Mrityunay Tiwari asked Manjhi to "give up the perks of power" if he seriously felt that Dalits should get a better deal than what the BJP was willing to give them.
"He should join the fight for social justice, which is being spearheaded by our leaders Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav. But, for this churning of which the BJP is always wary, Manjhi would never have been considered for a berth in the Union cabinet,” said Tiwari.
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Rain might have washed it away: Meghalaya minister after 4,000 tonnes of coal go missing
Shillong (PTI): As the Meghalaya High Court pulled up the state government over the disappearance of over 4,000 tonnes of coal, a minister on Monday claimed that heavy rain in the state might have washed it away.
The high court has directed the state government to take action against officials under whose watch the coal went missing.
Speaking to reporters, Excise Minister Kyrmen Shylla said, "Meghalaya receives the highest rainfall. You never know... because of rain, the coal might have swept away. Chances are very high."
The high court had on July 25 pulled up the state government over the vanishing of coal from Rajaju and Diengngan villages and instructed it to trace those responsible for lifting the coal illegally.
The minister, however, clarified that he was not trying to justify the disappearance, and admitted there was no conclusive evidence yet to determine whether the loss was due to natural causes or any illegal activity. "I cannot blame just the rain. It could be or it could not be. I really don't have any kind of details," he said.
He asserted that any activity related to coal mining or transportation must be done in accordance with the law and that authorities must ensure illegal practices are curbed.
On allegations of ongoing illegal coal mining and transport in the state, Shylla said concrete evidence was needed to establish such claims and that multiple departments were responsible for monitoring such activities.
"But I believe that our people, if it is for survival, might do it illegally... otherwise nobody wants to do anything that can harm the state," he said.
He expressed optimism that people would abide by the law, especially after the government's announcement of scientific mining.
"We all are happy to welcome it, and we want to see the light of day with this. I believe our people will not do anything that gives the court or law a chance to point fingers at us," he added.
The ban on coal mining and transportation in Meghalaya was imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014, citing rampant unregulated and unsafe mining practices, especially the controversial 'rat-hole' mining technique prevalent in the state.
The tribunal's order came in the wake of mounting concerns over environmental degradation, water contamination, and frequent fatalities in the hazardous mines, particularly in East Jaintia Hills.
On a separate note, the minister also responded to complaints over the dust and debris caused by the ongoing construction along National Highway 6 in East Jaintia Hills, saying, "I appreciate this government for the initiative. For now, it is difficult, but once everything is completed, we will enjoy the benefits."
