Bihar Minister embarrasses Nitish

In a major embarrasment for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, faced with a political dissent after resignation of senior party chief Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan', his Excise minister Jamshed Ashraf shot off letter hinting a 'multi-crore rupees scam' in the excise department.

In a major embarrasment for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, faced with a political dissent after resignation of senior party chief Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan', his Excise minister Jamshed Ashraf shot off letter hinting a 'multi-crore rupees scam' in the excise department.

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In September 2009 and again on January 14, when the state cabinet for the first time met on a floating restaurant, Ashraf handed over letters to Chief Minister seeking his intervention in unearthing a 'possible big scam.'

Alleging the scam was committed in connivance with officers posted in the CM's secretariat and the excise department, Ashraf said it might have resulted in huge revenue loss to the tune of over Rs 500 crore.

With the contents of the letter somehow making way to the media, Kumar apparently was in a spot, as the opposition got a shot in the arm trying to sully Kumar's image of a 'clean and no-nonsense man'.

Accusing the Chief Minister and his secretariat of trying to cover up the scam, the chief opposition RJD-LJP combine demanded a CBI probe and immediate resignation of Kumar on moral grounds.