E-Paper
Kartik Kumar resigns as Bihar minister amid protest from opposition
Bihar minister Kartik Kumar, accused in a kidnapping case, resigned from his post amid protests from the opposition late on Wednesday.
Bihar minister Kartik Kumar, accused in a kidnapping case, resigned from his post amid protests from the opposition late on Wednesday, hours after chief minister Nitish Kumar-led government changed his portfolio from law to sugarcane, according to a statement from the CM’s office.
CM Nitish Kumar accepted his resignation and sent the recommendation to Governor Phagu Chouhan. Land reforms minister Alok Kumar Mehta, meanwhile, was given the additional charge of sugarcane department.
An RJD MLC, Kartik Kumar has to appear before the Danapur court on Thursday when his anticipatory bail plea in the abduction case will come up for hearing. Earlier, Kumar did not surrender in the court despite a warrant issued against him on July 19 for his alleged role in the abduction of one Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Raju Singh.
Kumar took charge on August 16, the day he was supposed to comply with the court order after failing to do so previously, said a police officer, adding that the warrant issued last month has been sent to the concerned Mokama police station for compliance, but it could not be done.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Mahagathbandhan government changed the portfolio of its law minister Kartik Kumar, whose induction despite a pending case of kidnapping had drawn heavy opposition fire. According to a notification issued by cabinet secretariat department, Kumar will be swapping portfolios with sugarcane minister Shamim Ahmed.
After the JD(U) severed ties with the BJP earlier this month, the latter has been protesting over Kumar’s induction despite his name figuring in the 2014 abduction case.
“Nitish Kumar is demonstrating that he can get people framed in cases and offer them protection if they become loyal to him. He had extended such a favour to (RJD president) Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi. He is now doing the same to Kartik,” alleged Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal.
