How Nitish Kumar reacted over tainted ministers in the past
India Today
Amid the Opposition demanding resignation of Kartikeya Singh, here’s a look at the ministers in the Nitish Kumar government who were forced to quit over alleged involvement in corruption cases.
Sushil Kumar Modi, a prominent member of the BJP, claimed on Wednesday that Kartikeya Singh, the new law minister for Bihar, has a pending arrest warrant against him in relation to a kidnapping case. Sushil Kumar Modi demanded Kartikeya Singh's dismissal from the ministry.
The Left has also opposed Kartikeya Singh's appointment as the law minister for Bihar. A crucial partner in the Mahagathbandhan administration, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPIML), has requested a reconsideration of the appointment of Kartikeya Singh as the cabinet's minister of law by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, however, denied knowing anything about the arrest warrant that had reportedly been issued against Kartikeya Singh. Nitish Kumar said, "I don't have any information about it."
This comes a day after Nitish Kumar added 31 new members to his new cabinet, including a sizable induction of 16 members from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a crucial partner in the Mahagathbandhan.
Kartikeya Singh, a member of the RJD, was reportedly scheduled to appear in court in Danapur on August 16 in connection with a kidnapping case, but instead, he appeared at Patna Raj Bhavan to take oath as a new minister in the Nitish Kumar-led government of Bihar. Earlier on August 12, the court granted interim protection to him till September 1.
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A new government is formed in Bihar and the portfolios have also been divided among the ministers. Gradually, the names of the tainted ministers of the Nitish government have started appearing. After Kartikeya Singh, the taint charge is surrounding the new Agriculture Minister Sudhakar Singh. According to news reports, he owes Rs 76 crore to the Bihar government. He is accused of embezzlement of rice. In this case, in the year 2013, an FIR was lodged by SFC in Ramgarh police station regarding embezzlement.
