Union minister caught urinating in public, says there was no urinal nearby

An undated picture of Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh urinating in public has put the BJP in a spot as the picture went viral on social media on Thursday.

The minister, however, defended himself, saying there was no urinal for long distances on National Highway 28 near Pipara when he wanted to relieve himself.

Stating that his intention was not wrong, he said the photograph was of a dhaba (roadside eatery) on the NH.

The photograph showed the minister urinating on a wall, believed to be in his home constituency Purvi Champaran (East Champaran), as two security personnel stood guard.

Netizens trolled the minister for his act, saying it showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachch Bharat programme in poor light.

The photograph was also shared on RJD’s Twitter handle, with a sarcastic comment, “Amid tight security, the Union minister of agriculture gives the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a boost, as he inaugurates an irrigation project in a drought-affected state.”

State BJP spokesperson, Rajib Ranjan, however, found nothing wrong in the minister’s act.

“One cannot suppress nature’s call for long. What do you do if you are travelling long distances and there are no public urinals on the way?” he asked HT, adding “There is absolutely nothing wrong in what the minister did.”

He further said the photograph was “six months to one year old” as the minister’s SUV had a red beacon, which the government had banned from May 1.

Ranjan came down heavily against the ruling coalition in Bihar for deriving vicarious pleasure in sharing the minister’s photograph. “They are part of the corrupt combination in state,” he said.

The party, however, believed that the photograph was taken by an insider who was part of the minister’s cavalcade and subsequently leaked.

First Published: Jun 29, 2017 15:16 IST