Already on the back foot over a flurry of incidents like Bagha police firing, Bodh Gaya serial bomb blasts and Chhapra mid-day meal tragedy since he evicted the BJP from his Government in mid-June, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar muddled through another crisis when his well trusted Minister Bhim Singh expressed the view that people join the Army and the police force to attain martyrdom.
As his remarks invited strong criticism from every section of the society, Kumar who was in New Delhi reprimanded his Minister for his statements. The State Government is already facing accusation that it is insensitive to the plight of the people and the Opposition led by the BJP had lambasted the CM for not visiting Dharmasti Gandaman village in Saran district following the mid-day meal tragedy which had claimed lives of 23 children.
Bhim Singh who invited the wrath of Kumar for his unseemly remarks over the death of Indian soldiers in the Pakistani assault apologised for his statements but he also blamed the media for creating “unnecessary” controversy.
The CM who was highly embarrassed due to his Minister’s remarks also sought apology and expressed regret for his Cabinet colleague’s remarks. He immediately asked Bhim Singh to seek a public apology which were made after mediapersons asked him about the absence of any State Minister at Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport where bodies of four soldiers killed during Pakistan assault in Jammu & Kashmir reached on Wednesday night.
State BJP president Mangal Pandey told The Pioneer that Bhim Singh’s apology is not sufficient, asking Kumar to drop Singh from the State Cabinet immediately. A Minister who can hurt sentiments of the entire country through his remarks does not deserve to hold an important position, he added. The Minister has remarked, “What is so important about the death of soldiers as people join the Army and the police personnel with a passion to attain martyrdom”.
While making his callous remarks, he also asked a reporter of a TV channel whether his father and mother had gone to the Patna Airport when bodies of martyrs arrived there. Meanwhile, the mortal remains of four Army jawans killed by Pakistani troops along the line of Control were consigned to flames at their respective native villages in the State with full military honours. In all, five soldiers were ambushed while they were patrolling near the loC in Poonch of Jammu & Kashmir early on Tuesday morning.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced State honours for the martyrs as he also announced Rs 10 lakh compensation to each bereaved family. Amid heart-rending scenes, the last rites of Sepoy Vijay Rai (27) were performed on the banks of Ganga at his native village Bayapur in Maner block of Patna district. His six-year-old son Vivek lit the pyre amid chanting of hymns and slogans of “Vijay Rai Amar Rahe”.
Bihar Industry Minister Renu Kushwaha, senior BJP leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad and CP Thakur were present on the occasion. The funeral pyre of lance Naik Shambhu Saran (29) was lit by his two-year-old son Piyush at Harnia village under Jagdishpur police station area in Bhojpur district. State Food and Civil Supplies Minister Shyam Rajak, lJP general secretary Ramkishore Singh alias Rama Singh and a large number of villagers were present on the occasion.
The pyre of Naik Prem Nath Singh (35) was lit by his two-and-half-year-old son, Prakeek at Revilganj Ghat with full military honours on the banks of Saryu in Saran district while mortal remains of lance Naik Raghunandan Prasad were consigned to flames at Dubhaigarh Ghat on the banks of Saryu river.
Meanwhile, the Bihar Congress has announced Rs 2 lakh for the each bereaved family who lost its member in the Pakistani assault. State Congress president Ashok Choudhary and AICC secretary for Bihar, Kl Sharma made an announcement to that effect while addressing a party workers meeting in Chhapra. He said that the money would be spent on the education of children of each martyred soldier. Meanwhile, AICC member and State party spokesperson Uma Kant Singh has congratulated Choudhary for his decision to support families of martyred when they are in the crisis.