The ruling JD(U) on Saturday suspended its MlA Sarfaraz Ahmad from the party. A similar action is also likely to taken against another MlA Bima Bharti.
The action against Alam was taken after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar publicly said that party would not hesitate taking action against him and other erring lawmakers. Party’s Jokihat MlA Sarfaraz Alam is accused of sexual harassment of a lady passenger in Rajdhani Express last Sunday and Rupauli MlA Bima Bharti reportedly helped her gangster husband Awadhesh Mandal escape from the police custody.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by JD(U) president Sharad Yadav and attended by State party chief Bashistha Narain Singh. Singh said, “We have also discussed on case involving Bharti and Kushwaha and will certainly take action against them too.”
The two back to back ugly incidents involving JD(U) MlAs from Seemanchal region brought immense embarrassment to the party leadership, which is already struggling to ward off the allegations of the return of jungle raj.
Nitish said, “After the Rajdhani incident, MlA Alam phoned me and I gave him time on January 19 to meet me. But he did not come, my suspicion got stronger that something was there.” The CM said police have all freedom to act as per the law. Such conduct is unacceptable, legal action in under way and probe agency is doing its work to take action after arranging all the proofs. The case will be taken to its logical conclusion for initiating strict action.
The CM is also supposedly had talks with RJD supremo lalu Prasad on this issue. lalu said, “We can’t tolerate misbehaviour with our daughters and sisters and they will taken to task irrespective of their clout.” His son and health minister Tej Pratap remarked, “Such people should be sent to jail.” Alam is son of RJD MP from Araria Mohammad Taslimuddin.
The CM said one more case involving party’s Rupauli MlA Bima Bharti and Purnia MP Santosh Kushwaha has come to his notice that they went to Maranga police station in Purnia and got her husband freed from there.
“The police is probing this case and there will be no hesitation in taking action if their involvement is proved. The party will also react in the light of its code of conduct,” Nitish said.
The CM however, said that when some incidents take place they are highlighted by the media but the action taken on such incidents do not get much publicity.
“The people have showed faith in me and I will do everything to maintain their confidence and faith in me. We will do what is right without taking notice of what our opponents say,” he added.