Bihar Minister Facing Kidnapping Charges Resigns, Says ‘Party’s Image Tarnished Because of Me’

Amid protests by the Opposition parties, Bihar minister Kartik Kumar, who is allegedly involved in a 2014 kidnapping case, on Wednesday resigned from his ministerial post. This came hours after the Nitish Kumar government removed Kartik Kumar as the law minister and allotted him the low-profile sugarcane department. CM Nitish Kumar has accepted Kartik’s resignation and further sent it to Governor Phagu Chauhan. “I have resigned. I was fed up of everyday debates on TV. BJP had too many problems with me so I had decided that once I get clean chit then only I will take any responsibility in the government. For me, the party is top priority, will work for the party and will answer those who are criticising me. Media is reporting one sided news. And this led to negative portrayal for my image. So it is my duty to clear all confusions and then only I will see what to do,” the RJD leader told CNN-News18. “Tejashwi never opposed my ministership otherwise I wouldn’t have become a minister. Because of me, the party’s image is tarnished and some are campaigning against me so I resigned,” he added. Meanwhile, Bihar Revenue Minister Alok Kumar Mehta has been given additional charge for the Sugarcane Industry Ministry. Reacting to Kartik Kumar’s resignation, BJP leader Sushil Modi said in a tweet, “The first wicket has just fallen. Many more wickets will fall now.”
“Nitish Kumar got clean bowled in the first over itself. Now Karthik Kumar’s first wicket has fallen. Many more wickets will fall now, ” he added.

नीतीश कुमार पहले ओवर में ही क्लीन बोल्ड हो गए ।अभी तो कार्तिक कुमार का पहला विकेट गिरा है ।अभी और कई विकेट गिरेंगे।@aajtak @ANI @ZeeBiharNews @ABPNews @News18Bihar @PTI_News

— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) August 31, 2022

BJP’s IT Cell head Amit Malviya said Kartik Kumar seems to have more self respect than Nitish Kumar.

Kartikeya Singh seems to have more self respect than Nitish Kumar. — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 31, 2022

Kartik Kumar is expected to appear in court on Thursday in a kidnapping case with his interim protection from court against any coercive action ending on September 1. ALSO READ:  Winning the Perception Battle? Nitish Kumar Removes Bihar Law Minister Under Scanner in Kidnapping Case Kartik, who is close to RJD’s Bahubali leader Anant Singh, is facing the charge of kidnapping in Patna district and a case was registered at the Bihta police station in 2014. The warrant was issued in the first week of August. As per the allegations against him, he was involved in the kidnapping of a person named Rajiv Ranjan in 2014 and an FIR was lodged at the Bihta police station. The victim had given a statement under CrPC of 164 in the court where he had mentioned the name of the RJD leader. Moreover, he is also facing other criminal charges in Mokama railway police station and other police stations of Patna and adjoining districts. The BJP has been attacking the new government since Kumar was sworn in as the law minister. Kumar did not attend a court hearing on August 16 in the case when he took oath as the minister.

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'Ready to withdraw campaign in Bihar if....': Prashant Kishor

Poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor said that if the new government in Bihar provides 5-10 lakh jobs in 2 years, he is ready to withdraw his ‘Jan Suraj Abhiyan’.

Prashant Kishor said if the newly formed ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government in Bihar provides 5 to 10 lakh jobs in two years, he would withdraw his ‘Jan Suraj Abhiyan’. (File Photo)

Poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor on Wednesday asserted that if the newly formed ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government in Bihar provides five to 10 lakh jobs in the next one or two years, he would withdraw his ‘Jan Suraj Abhiyan’ and extend support to the Nitish Kumar dispensation.

Addressing his supporters in Samastipur on Wednesday, Kishor, once a confidant of Kumar, also claimed that the RJD-JD(U)-Congress government does not enjoy the support of people.

“Nitish Kumar uses ‘Fevicol’ (adhesive brand) to stick to the CM’s post, while other parties continue to revolve around it,” he stated.

Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had recently said that his party, as part of the new government, would deliver on the promise of providing 10 lakh jobs, made during 2020 Assembly elections.

Kumar, during his Independence Day speech at Gandhi Maidan, too, said, “We aim to provide jobs to 20 lakh people in government and private sectors of the state. People of the new generation (Tejashwi Yadav) are with us; hence, we will jointly work to provide jobs. Our goal is to place Bihar in the category of developed states.” Responding to the promises made by the Grand Alliance government, Kishor said, “I will withdraw my ‘Jan Suraj Abhiyan’ and extend support to the Nitish Kumar government, if five to 10 lakh jobs are provided in the next one to two years.” He predicted more upheavals in the state’s political scenario before the next assembly polls.

“It has been only three months since I entered the political arena in Bihar, and the politics in the state took a 180-degree turn. The state will witness more political upheavals in the near future.” Kishor, who was earlier a part of the JD(U), had announced earlier in the year that he would launch ‘Jan Suraj Abhiyan’ to establish regional connections, find out about problems faced by the people of Bihar, and provide possible solutions to them.

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Two Dead, One Seriously Ill After Consuming Spurious Liquor in Dry Bihar

Last Updated: August 16, 2022, 23:58 IST

The deceased have been identified as Vikram Kumar (21) and Rahul Kumar (22) of Bakhtiyarpur village. (Representative image: Twitter/File)

The deceased have been identified as Vikram Kumar (21) and Rahul Kumar (22) of Bakhtiyarpur village. Another person Munna Kumar (19) has been admitted to a government hospital in Samastipur and his condition is reported to be critical, they said

Two persons have died and one fell seriously ill after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Samastipur district of dry Bihar, officials said on Tuesday. The deceased have been identified as Vikram Kumar (21) and Rahul Kumar (22) of Bakhtiyarpur village. Another person Munna Kumar (19) has been admitted to a government hospital in Samastipur and his condition is reported to be critical, they said.

Talking to reporters, Samastipur, Superintendent of Police, Hriday Kant said, “Bodies of Vikram and Rahul have been sent for the post-mortem examination. The exact cause of death can only be ascertained after the post-mortem examination report”. The local police is investigating the matter, the SP said, adding searches are also being conducted to nab the suspected bootleggers.

Villagers claim that all three consumed liquor on Monday. Immediately after consuming liquor, Vikram’s condition started deteriorating. He was immediately taken to the nearest hospital where he was declared brought dead on Monday. Condition of Rahul also deteriorated and he was rushed to the hospital where he died on Tuesday, said a local police officer on condition of anonymity.

Sale and consumption of alcohol was completely banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in April, 2016, in line with an electoral promise he had made to the state’s women ahead of assembly polls held the year before. Since November last year, the state has reported a number of hooch tragedies in which more than 65 people have died.

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As Nitish Kumar takes charge of Bihar, Congress says Sonia Gandhi played key role to form Mahagathbandhan

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi played mediator in the formation of a new government in Bihar, Mahagathbandhan, party MLAs told India Today. JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar took oath as Bihar chief minister for a record eighth time in a no-frills ceremony at Raj Bhavan after snapping ties with the BJP-led NDA and joining hands with the RJD to form a ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav also took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister.

Sources had told news agency PTI that Nitish Kumar spoke to both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi soon after resigning from his post of chief minister. He also learnt to have thanked the Congress leadership for extending support in the formation of the new government.

'SONIA GANDHI PLAYED MEDIATOR'

"The way Madam Sonia Gandhi played the role of mediator in forging the alliance between Mahagathbandhan and JD(U) makes me very proud. Sonia Gandhi played a crucial role by intervening in the political situation in the state and helped in the formation of a new government in the state," Congress MLA Pratima Das told India Today TV.

ALSO READ| Next chapter of political instability has started in Bihar: Prashant Kishor on Mahagathbandhan 2.0

"As far as allocation of ministerial berths is concerned, Congress leaders should leave that decision to the party's top brass. In a democratic set up, everyone has the right to speak and party high command is keeping an eye on the developments and they will take a final call," she added.

Giving a statement about being made her own minister, Pratima Das said that she is not making any claim from her side. But the party high command is keeping an eye on everything. And the decision of the high command is paramount.

ALSO READ| Nitish Raj and years of lost opportunities for Bihar | OPINION

MAKE ME MINISTER, SAYS CONG MLA

Congress MLAs in the state have been locked in a stiff competition to get the ministerial berths since the change of guard in Bihar. Ajeet Sharma, a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, has said that the party should get at least four ministerial berths.

On the other hand, Congress’s Khagaria MLA Chhatrapati Yadav has written a letter to Sonia Gandhi saying that he should be made a minister as he belongs to the 'Yadav' community.

Congress leader Ajeet Sharma has demanded that the party has the right to get at least four berths due to the number of MLAs. The party's in-charge of Bihar affairs, Bhakta Charan Das, has left for Delhi to participate in a meeting with the top brass and decide on the names of party leaders who will be inducted in the Bihar cabinet. Congress MLAs Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Santish Mishra and several other MLAs are in the national capital to meet the high command.

The Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan government will face a floor test to prove its majority in the Bihar Assembly on August 24. Sources said that the Bihar Cabinet expansion is likely to happen on August 16.

Relations between the BJP and the JD(U) worsened in the wake of disagreements over a host of issues including caste census, population control and the 'Agnipath' defence recruitment scheme.

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Akhilesh Yadav Optimistic About JD(U)-BJP Break Up in Bihar, Says Beginning of 'BJP Satta Chhodo'

The change of government in Bihar has filled the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh with ‘optimism’. SP President Akhilesh Yadav sees the BJP-JD(U) break-up as a “good start” for Indian politics.

“This is the beginning of the end. It signals ‘BJP satta chhodo’ on the lines of ‘Angrezo Bharat chhodo’ slogan that was coined during the Independence movement,” he stated.

Talking to reporters in Kannauj, Akhilesh said: “People in our communities are no longer getting postings in institutions and all BJP supporters are being appointed to key posts at universities and educational institutions.”

He further warned, “If they get more powerful, then your right to vote might also be taken away. People should not take such possibilities lightly as this was exactly what was happening in many countries in India’s neighbourhood.”

Akhilesh also targetted the ruling BJP for selling away public enterprises to corporates. He said the way in which the safron party was selling over government establishments like railways, airports and airlines, a time will come when people will be treated like slaves.

“If they (BJP) remain in control, all of us will turn into slaves,” Akhilesh said.

He added, “In days to come the government will not buy your wheat, private people will buy your wheat.”

The SP president further said that the BJP government is not the government of the poor and farmers.

“This is a government of industrialists. Since the BJP came to power, inflation has increased. From diesel-petrol to gas cylinders, milk, curd–everything has become expensive. Farmers are suffering losses in agriculture. Farmers are not even getting the cost price of their crops. Not only this, the BJP government has cheated the youth by introducing the Agniveer scheme in the Army,” he said.

He said, “In the coming time, this government will also bring a similar scheme in the recruitment of police and PAC. This government has also done government jobs on contract. The youth are not getting jobs. A large number of youths are unemployed. The BJP government is only working for the welfare of the Industrialists.”

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Congress Likely to Get 4 Ministerial Berths in New Government in Bihar, Say Sources

The Congress is likely to get four ministerial berths in the new government in Bihar as JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar snapped ties with the BJP and joined hands with the RJD-led alliance, sources said on Tuesday. Sources said Kumar spoke to both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi soon after resigning from his post of chief minister. He is also learnt to have thanked the Congress leadership for extending support in the formation of the new government.

Besides the four ministerial berths, the Congress has also sought the post of Speaker of the state assembly, but Kumar is not keen on giving that, sources said. The Congress has 19 MLAs in the 243-member Bihar Assembly while the JD(U) has 45, RJD 79, CPI(ML) 12, and CPI and CPI(M) each have two legislators. The BJP has 77 MLAs in Bihar while the Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) has 4. The House has one Independent MLA while one seat is vacant.

Bihar Congress president Madan Mohan Jha and the party’s in-charge of Bihar affairs Bhakta Charan Das were present at the meeting of Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav and leaders of other parties. All 19 legislators of the Congress later attended a dinner meeting at the residence of the CLP leader in the Bihar assembly in Patna. Top Congress leadership in Delhi however, remained silent on the developments in Bihar and confabulations over the new government formation in the state.

Earlier, the Congress said it will be a part of the non-BJP alliance in Bihar to help strengthen secular forces. The party said that like in Maharashtra where it helped stitch together the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government by supporting the Shiv Sena which was ideologically different from it, it will align with Kumar who has been with them in the past.

“Ours is an ideological battle and we are not fighting for power. The Congress will support any non-BJP government and help strengthen secular forces,” Congress general secretary Tariq Anwar earlier told PTI. “Because Nitish Kumar is leaving the BJP and coming over, we will support him,” he said, adding the Congress will take whatever steps that are needed to strengthen secular forces and defeat the communal forces.

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, tweeted, “In March 2020, Modi sarkar postponed Covid-19 lockdown to engineer the fall of the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh. Now, it cuts short Parliament session knowing its coalition government in Bihar is going. What goes up must come down!”

A meeting of the RJD-led Grand Alliance, comprising the Left and the Congress, also took place at Rabri Devi’s house, where all the MLAs are said to have signed a letter to support Kumar. Nitish Kumar is understood to have told JD(U) legislators and MPs, at a meeting he convened at his official residence, that he had been driven against the wall by the BJP which tried to weaken his party, first by propping up Chirag Paswan’s rebellion and later through its former national president RCP Singh.

Relations between the BJP and the JD(U) have been worsening in the wake of disagreements over a host of issues including caste census, population control and the ‘Agnipath’ defence recruitment scheme.

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