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Covid-19 lockdown: As controversies break out, Bihar cracks the whip
The Bihar government has sought an explanation from officials of the Nawada district administration allegedly responsible for issuing an inter-state pass to BJP
The Bihar government has sought an explanation from officials of the Nawada district administration allegedly responsible for issuing an inter-state pass to BJP legislator Anil Singh to visit Kota in Rajasthan in violation of the guidelines for the Covid-19 lockdown.
Action was also taken by authorities over the house-warming party organised by Bihar education minister Krishna Nandan Verma’s personal assistant Pintu Yadav after first information reports (FIRs) were filed against several key officials who attended the gathering in Jehanabad.
Verma, who found himself at the centre of a controversy as the party violated the guidelines for the lockdown, recommended the removal of his personal assistant.
Bihar’s chief secretary Deepak Kumar reiterated chief minister Nitish Kumar’s position that the spirit of lockdown must be maintained by all amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and said show-cause notices had been served to officials of the Nawada district administration to explain how the inter-state pass was issued to the legislator from Hisua so that he could travel to Kota to bring back his daughter.
“This is not the right time to bring back students from Kota, as the country grapples with the pandemic. This is a fight all have to fight together despite the known hardships, as caution and patience are the two things most required at this juncture,” the chief secretary said.
The BJP is part of Bihar’s ruling coalition and the opposition parties played up the issue, accusing the government of double standards.
Congress leader Shakti Sinh Gohil alleged the BJP legislator was also provided a government vehicle to travel to Kota. Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said many VIPs had been issued passes in Bhiar, whereas the poor were left to fend for themselves.
A senior officer, who declined to be named, said that at a time when air, train and road travel had been stopped across the country, except for essential services, issuing a pass for a person to travel to another state couldn’t be justified. “The axe will fall on some officials,” he said.
The Bihar Legislative Assembly also issued a show-cause notice to the driver of the MLA’s vehicle.
“The vehicle was provided to the MLA in the capacity of the whip, but how could that vehicle be taken to another state?” said an officer, adding the driver was asked to explain why action should not be taken against him.
With the house warming party in Jehanabad creating embarrassment for the state government, the education minister was quick to wash his hands off his personal assistant. The state government ordered the suspension of Jehanabad’s sub-divisional police officer and the circle officer of Makhdumpur.
“The law will take its own course. If anything wrong has happened, there will be consequences,” an official said.
