JD-U stifles bribe charge against minister
In an apparent travesty of justice, Bihar’s ruling JD(U) has forced a contractor to withdraw an FIR he had lodged against a senior minister accusing him of assault and coercion to pay off a part of the contract money.
Contractor Shambhu Sharan Patel, who is also a state general secretary of the JD(U)’s youth wing, withdrew his formal written complaint against food and consumers protection minister Shyam Rajak at the secretariat police station late on Saturday evening. He had lodged the complaint a few hours earlier, accusing Rajak of unjustifiably demanding payment of `1.5 lakh.
The police, instead of taking suitable action as per law after Patel lodged the complaint, acted according to the wishes of several JD(U) leaders and party functionaries who met DSP Rakesh Dubey and reportedly asked him to persuade Patel to withdraw his FIR. Among the JD(U) leaders who met the DSP were Sanjay Kumar Singh, Rabindra Kumar Singh and Bablu, said party sources.
“I was asked to withdraw my complaint with the assurance that my grievance will be taken care of and I will be given relief. But I must say that in these circumstances the minister concerned will be responsible if anything personally harmful happens to me,” said Patel to journalists after withdrawing his complaint. Rajak has denied Patel’s charges. JD(U) sources said Patel’s charges had no political motivation behind them and that they stemmed from personal transactions between him and Rajak.
The JD(U) leadership was evidently rattled after Patel lodged his formal police complaint and spoke to news channels partly because of Rajak’s perceived proximity with CM Nitish Kumar. While JD(U) disciplinary action committee chairman and MLA Gyanendra Singh Gyanu described Patel’s charges as “unbelievable and ludicrous,” party state president Vashistha Narayan Singh advised party leaders and functionaries not to take any contracts.
The Opposition parties criticised the state government. “The CM had boasted in the Assembly just on March 29 that his government did not protect any errant ruling party politician. But the people are watching and waiting,” said RJD MLA Bhai Birendra.
Post new comment