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Union minister's ‘mentally unfit’ remark on Nitish after Bihar CM loses cool
Another suspected hooch tragedy in dry Bihar triggered a slugfest in the state assembly where the ruling ‘Mahagathbandhan’ led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and opposition BJP traded charges.
Union minister Giriraj Singh attacked Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for losing his cool in the assembly after the BJP tried to corner the state government over another hooch tragedy.
“Nitish Kumar is not mentally fit to run the government,” the minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department said in a tweet.
The tweet came hours after Nitish Kumar lost his cool and rebuked BJP members who entered the well of the House.
“You are doing the wrong thing by opposing liquor prohibition... This cannot be tolerated. Just remove all these people,” he said, referring to the protesting members.
(Watch | 'Arey, tum bol rahe ho…': Nitish loses temper as BJP questions liquor ban)
As leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly, Vijay Kumar Sinha, raised questions on the liquor ban in the wake of deaths in Saran district allegedly due to consumption of spurious liquor, a visibly angry Nitish Kumar shouted at him saying “Kya ho gaya...arey, tum bol rahe ho… (What happened…Oh, you are to speak now…)”.
The speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes.
When the House re-assembled, the BJP demanded an apology from Kumar. “We will not allow the House to run unless he apologises for his behaviour,” Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha said.
Giriraj Singh told reporters outside Parliament that Nitish Kumar should convene an all-party meeting on the issue and take a decision accordingly. "If a policy is not successful, then it should be reconsidered," he said.
At least 21 people died in the hooch tragedy, officials said on Wednesday, adding the toll is likely to rise. The incident took place in three villages under Mashrakh, Ishuapur and Amnaur police stations area of Marhaura sub-division in Chhapra area on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.
Police suspect the villagers might have purchased the liquor from a common shop in these adjoining areas.
BJP MP from Saran, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, said: “We have seen tourism in India and the world but not death tourism, which began in my area yesterday (Tuesday). I have been only counting the number of people dying.”
