Patna, Sep 13: The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar was left embarrassed on Tuesday over the reported candid admission of rampant corruption by the state's Minister for Agriculture Sudhakar Singh.
Singh, whose remarks at a public meeting two days ago have gone viral, dug in his heels even as the BJP, which had been gunning for him till recently, said his averment was an "eye opener" and the chief minister should come out with a white paper on corruption.
"I stick to what I have said and I seek to make no amendments (sanshodhan). I have been elected by the people towards whom I have a responsibility," said Singh when he was approached by journalists here in connection with remarks he made at Kaimur two days ago.
In the video footage, the 46 years old RJD leader can be seen saying he felt like a "choron ka sardar" (leader of thieves), heading a department that "seemed full of thieves".
"And there are thieves above me as well", Singh was seen declaiming in the video and invoking Lohia to assert "when the legislature turns rogue, people must take to the streets".
The 'Mahagathbandhan', the seven-party ruling alliance, was predictably peeved but reluctant to come on record against the RJD leader whose father Jagadanand Singh is the party's state unit chief and a trusted aide of Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.
BJP, which had been seeking the removal of Singh ever since he became a minister a month ago, latched on to the opportunity thrown up by his alleged comments.
"What the agriculture minister has said is an eye opener and serves as a mirror to the self-obsessed chief minister under whose rule red tapism has been rampant and bureaucrats have been refusing to listen to even ministers", state BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand said in a statement.
"It is high time that the chief minister gave up living in denial on the issue of corruption under his rule and set up a high level committe to prepare a white paper on the same," demanded the BJP leader whose party had been Kumar's ally till his exit from the NDA.
#WATCH | There is not a single wing of our (agriculture) dept that does not commit acts of theft. As I am the in-charge of the department, I become their Sardar (chief)...There are many more people above me: Bihar Agriculture Min S Singh, in Kaimur (12.09)
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2022
(Source: Viral video) pic.twitter.com/p6mNVRgr60
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Madikeri: A man allegedly killed his wife, daughter, mother-in-law and father-in-law before absconding. The incident was reported in Begur village in Ponnampet taluk here on Friday.
According to reports, Girish (35), a native of Kerala, is the accused in the case and is currently absconding.
The deceased have been identified as Kariya (75), the accused’s father-in-law; Gauri (70), mother-in-law; Nagi (30), wife; and Kaveri (5), daughter. All four were allegedly killed using a knife.
It has been learnt that Girish and Nagi had been married for seven years.
The exact motive behind the crime is yet to be ascertained. It is said that the couple, who worked as laborers, along with their daughter, had recently moved into Kariya's house in Begur.
District Superintendent of Police K. Ramarajan and Ponnampet police visited the spot and conducted a preliminary investigation. An operation has been launched to trace the accused, Girish.