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On criminal cases against Bihar's new law minister Kartikeya Singh, Nitish says 'I don’t know'
BJP leaders, including party's Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, have slammed Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for inducting Kartikeya Singh as the new law minister and have also called for his removal from the state cabinet.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Wednesday he had no idea about the state's new law minister Kartikeya Singh being involved in criminal cases. Kumar's statement came amid BJP’s allegations of corruption and crime returning to the state as Singh was reportedly asked to surrender before a court in a kidnapping case on August 16 – the day he was sworn in as a minister.
The BJP, which turned into the opposition camp in Bihar from the ruling party in a span of a few hours last week after Kumar left the NDA and rekindled ties with Lalu Prasad’s RJD, has been attacking the new cabinet ever since 31 ministers took oath on Tuesday.
The CM, however, told reporters that he is unaware of the criminal proceedings Singh is facing. "I do not know, I have no information about this," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
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BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi has been vocal about the new Bihar cabinet, which according to an ADR report, has over 70 per cent of ministers with criminal charges registered against them.
"If Kartikeya Singh (RJD) had a warrant against him, he should have surrendered. But he has taken oath as law minister. I ask Nitish, is he trying to take Bihar back to Lalu's times? Kartikeya Singh should be immediately dismissed," Sushil said.
Former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad echoed Sushil, urging the Patna high court to take cognisance of the serious issue pertaining to Singh. He added that he expects Kumar to “show some courage” and take strict action against the new law minister of Bihar.
Singh reportedly was supposed to surrender in Danapur court on August 16 in the kidnapping case but instead, he took oath as the law minister in Kumar's new government. On August 12, he was granted interim protection till September 1 by the court, ANI reported.
The law minister's advocate Madhusudan Sharma, however, quashed allegations of his client absconding in the kidnapping case as “baseless”.
“He's not an accused in the matter, (and) his involvement not mentioned in the probe...no evidence found against him, (and) police proved him innocent,” Sharma was quoted as saying by ANI.
Prasad, who was accorded a grand welcome by his party workers and functionaries after he landed in Patna from Delhi for the first time since the change or regime in Bihar earlier today, also junked allegations of the saffron unit against Kumar's new cabinet. Calling Sushil Modi a “liar”, Prasad stated that in the upcoming 2024 general elections, the “dictatorial government” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP should be dethroned.
Of the 31 ministers who took oath on Tuesday, 16 are from the RJD and 11 are from Kumar's JD(U). Two lawmakers from the Congress party, one from the Hindustani Awam Morch (HAM), and one independent also feature in the state cabinet.
Kumar was sworn in as the Bihar chief minister for the eighth time last week with Tejashwi taking oath as his new deputy.
