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RCP Singh quits JD (U) over notice on assets
The development comes hours after the JD (U) issued a show-cause notice to its former national president for allegedly amassing huge amounts of property between 2013 and 2019
Former Union minister RCP Singh on Saturday resigned from the ruling Janata Dal (United) in Bihar, alleging “conspiracy” by those “envious” of him. The development comes hours after the party issued a show-cause notice to its former national president for allegedly amassing huge amounts of property between 2013 and 2019, and not declaring those in his poll affidavit.
“All these allegations against me have been levelled under a conspiracy by some people who were afraid of my growing popularity,” Singh told reporters.
“I resign with immediate effect. What is left in JD (U) now? JD (U) is a sinking ship. What will I do by carrying the JD (U) bag?”, he added, hinting at floating a new party.
Earlier in the day, in a letter dated August 4, 2022 , the JD(U) alleged that several irregularities were noticed in the properties Singh had acquired over the past nine years and asked him to respond at the earliest.
“As per the available information, you and your family have amassed vast immovable property from 2013 to 2022. Many discrepancies have come to light. You have served as an officer and party worker with the party’s leader Nitish Kumar for a long time. The honourable leader made you a Rajya Sabha MP twice, party general secretary (organisation), national president and a Minister at the Centre with full faith and trust. You are aware of the fact that the leader has zero tolerance for corruption. Despite being in public life for so many years, there is no allegation against him and he didn’t amass wealth,” said the letter.
The letter, signed by the party’s state unit chief Umesh Singh Kushwaha, further cited chief minister Nitish Kumar’s policy of zero tolerance for corruption and enlisted the opportunities Singh has received during his long association with the party.
“The party follows a zero-tolerance policy as far as corruption is concerned. If a complaint has come it becomes the duty of the party to seek clarification from him (Singh). Party’s next step will depend on his reply/clarification,” he said.
According to people familiar with the matter, the show-cause letter was issued based on a complaint by two party workers.
In a seven-page letter dated July 26, Suresh Prasad and Sanjay Kumar Patel had accused Singh of acquiring 40 bighas of land in the name of his wife and two daughters in two blocks of Asthawan and Islampur of Nalanda district alone.
“Our leader Nitish Kumar has set a high standard of morality and follows zero-tolerance policy by ensuring that all ministers/legislators put in public domain their property description annually, R C P Singh has set the wrong precedence by fudging names (complainants allege that spelling of wife’s name has been changed) to hide properties. He has not mentioned these in his affidavits,” the letter alleged.
Singh, who was once a confidante of Nitish Kumar, recently stepped down as Union minister after the JD(U) denied him another term in the Rajya Sabha.
Last week, viral videos showed Singh purportedly raising slogans projecting himself as the future chief minister of Bihar.
In June, he was evicted from a spacious bungalow in Patna’s VIP zone.
A two-time Rajya Sabha MP, Singh has also served as JD (U)’s general secretary and national president.
He, however, invited the wrath of party leaders after he accepted the cabinet berth in PM Modi-led Union cabinet in July 2021, when as a party president he was authorized to hold talks for more berths.
This led to strong resentment in the party, with the present president calling it a “unilateral decision”. He was also assigned to hold talks with the BJP for an alliance in UP and strike respectable seats for the JD (U). He failed, which antagonised the party leaders.
In XXXX, Singh stirred up a row by taking a jibe at Nitish Kumar, saying “how can one dream of becoming a PM with 17 MPs”.
The BJP, to which Singh had supposedly grown too close for JD(U)’s comfort, called the development an internal matter.
“It is JD(U)’s internal matter. The allegations against RCP Singh ji are a matter of investigation. But we must also listen to what he has to say in response,” BJP spokesman Arvind Kumar Singh said.
