press trust of india
PATNA, 10 AUG: The BJP today said that the ruling JD-U government in Bihar has no “moral right” to stay in power for showing “disrespect” to the slain jawans and the Armed forces.
“It is a matter of grave concern that neither Chief Minister Nitish Kumar nor any of his ministers was present at the airport to receive the bodies of the four slain jawans on Wednesday,” BJP Vice-president C P Thakur told reporters.
“The chief minister himself could not get away from his duty to lay a wreath on the bodies of the jawans on the plea that he was not in the state capital as he could have done so at the airport in New Delhi as he had gone there to attend a function,” Mr Thakur said. Mr Kumar’s insensitive and callous attitude towards the slain jawans was reflected in the fact that he had not directed any of his ministers to receive the bodies and lay a wreath on them on behalf of the state government, the senior BJP leader said, adding that such a government has no moral right to remain in power for even a day.
Seeking the removal of senior minister Bhim Singh for his deplorable remark on the jawans, the BJP leader demanded construction of their life size statues either in their native villages or district headquarters so that succeeding generations could remember their supreme sacrifices for the nation.
“If the state government did not want to construct statues of the jawans, he would do so from his MPLAD fund,” Mr Thakur said. He further demanded construction of roads and related infrastructure at the native villages of the slain jawans as no development whatsoever was visible in these areas.
Four of the five jawans, killed by Pakistani troops along the LoC, were from Bihar.
RJD workers burn Bhim Singh in effigy
CHAPRA, 10 AUG: RJD supporters today burnt JD-U minister Bhim Singh in effigy for his remarks, ‘the soldiers being recruited to lay down their lives for the nation’ which he subsequently apologised for, in a village of Bihar’s Saran district. A group of RJD workers led by Manoj Yadav and Kunal Yadav gathered in Newari village and raised slogans against Mr Singh, who is the Rural Works and Panchayati Raj Minister in the Nitish Kumar government, before burning him in effigy. Apparently not satisfied with the apology, the protesters urged the CM to sack Mr Singh. The RJD supremo Lalu Prasad is slated to visit Nautan village to console the jawan’s grieving family members later in the day. pti