Home Secretary post a gift to Amanullah from Nitish: RJD

Patna, Oct 31 (UNI) The RJD today alleged that the plum post of Bihar Home Secretary (HS) was a gift to Mr Afzal Amanullah from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the former's act of defying the then Chief Minister Lalu Prasad's order to arrest BJP leader L K Advani.

RJD national general-secretary and spokesperson Shyam Rajak said here that Mr Amanullah had refused to arrest Mr Advani on the plea that the leader should be taken into custody by the Chief Minister and state chief secretary.

Consequently, Mr Prasad decided to send IAS officer Rajkumar Singh and IPS officer Rameshwar Uraon to Dhanbad as special officers to book Mr Advani who was finally arrested near Samastipur in 1991.

''Keeping in mind the very act of Mr Amanullah, Mr Kumar actually rewarded him with the plum post after coming to power,'' Mr Rajak said.

''Mr Amanullah, who never gave any explanation over the issue, is now giving statements clarifying his position under the pressure of the ruling party and Mr Kumar,'' he said.

In his clarifications, Mr Amanullah said it was Mr Prasad, the then Chief Minister, who had asked him not to arrest Mr Advani in Dhanbad during his tenure as Deputy Commissioner in 1991.

Mr Amanullah further said Mr Prasad had stated that he was in constant touch with the then Prime Minister V P Singh who was of the opinion that the government at the Centre would fall if Mr Advani was arrested.

Mr Amanullah wondered why the matter was being raised after 16 years and why the then state government had not sought any explanation from him in case he had defied the government's order.

UNI