Bihar minister sends brother to govt function, faces opposition anger

The minister, who is a leader of the Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP), later said he will make sure to attend events where he is scheduled to be present in future.

Opposition parties in Bihar on Friday demanded the resignation of state minister Mukesh Sahani amid reports that he sent his brother to attend a government event in Vaishali district. The opposition also demanded that the minister’s brother Santosh Kumar Sahani must be arrested and action must be initiated against officials who were present at the event.

Bihar Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister Mukesh Sahani's brother Santosh Kumar Sahani attends a government program at Hajipur, in Vaishali on Friday. (ANI)

As the opposition disrupted the proceedings of the assembly over the issue, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday expressed his shock. “If this is true, then it is shocking. I did not know about it. Such incidents should not happen and I will look into it,” Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The minister, who is a leader of the Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP), later said he will make sure to attend events where he is scheduled to be present in future. “I could not attend the event due to the ongoing assembly session. I had no intention of sending my brother but he attended as he is the party president. It is important for the party president to be present but I will make sure that such an incident does not happen again,” Sahani was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Santosh Kumar Sahani said that his brother could not attend the event in the Vaishali district. “He was busy and that is why I have come here as his representative,” he said after he was questioned about his brother’s absence.