RJD asks Governor to remove Bihar Cooperative minister

Patna, May 18: The RJD on Thursday, May 18, petitioned Bihar Governor Devanand Konwar to immediately remove Cooperative Minister Ramadhar Singh for allegedly being an absconder for the last 16 years.

A RJD delegation led by state party Chief Ramchandra Purve and Leader of the opposition in the state assembly Abdul Bari Siddiqui called on the Governor and submitted a memorandum seeking immediate dismissal of Singh.

They told the governor that a case had been registered against Singh for rendering a communal speech in Aurangabad district in 1992 .

Singh was declared an absconder by a court in May 1995 after he repeatedly failed to appear before it in connection with the case.

They further alleged that the minister had concealed the cases against him in the affidavit while filing nomination from the Aurangabad assembly seat in 2010 polls that he won on a BJP ticket.

Emerging from the meeting with the Governor, Siddiqui told reporters at Rajbhavan that the governor assured the delegation of looking into the matter.

The state RJD president Ramchandra Purve said if the 'tainted' minister was not not removed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his party would organise a sit-in demonstration at Kargil Chowk on May 21 to press for the demand.

The BJP minister had denied all the charges and said it was not known to him that he was declared absconder in 1995.