A call made by RJD president Lalu Prasad to the Darbhanga civil surgeon directing him to reappoint a group of Mamata health workers has triggered a controversy, with the BJP accusing him of acting like a “Super CM”. This comes days after he conducted a “surprise inspection” at Patna’s Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences.
After a group of women Mamata health workers, who look after newborns in hospitals, recently met Lalu seeking reappointment in the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), he is said to have called up the Darbhanga civil surgeon in this regard. Soon after the call the civil surgeon Dr Sriram Singh allegedly wrote a letter to DMCH Superintendent to act on the instruction and reappoint the women health workers. He also sent a copy to senior officers in state health department.
Dr Singh wrote “telephonic instructions from RJD president Lalu Prasad, Mamata workers should be reinstated immediately”. Dr Singh marked a copy of his letter to the district magistrate, Bihar Rajya Swasthya Samiti executive director, the health department’s principal secretary, and the RJD supremo. No copy was marked to Tej Pratap Yadav, the state health minister and Lalu’s elder son, reports The Indian Express.
When contacted, Dr Singh refused to comment and told PTI “there is nothing in this”. When asked for comments on the issue, Lalu, whose son Tej Pratap Yadav is Bihar’s health minister, said several workers meet him and it was his duty “to help them on their genuine demand”.
He also admitted to calling up Darbhanga for the Mamata workers and said he would not take any notice of the BJP allegations.
Binod Narayan Jha, State BJP SpokespersonBihar has two CMs. One is Nitish Kumar who has been administered oath by the Governor and another is RJD chief Lalu Prasad who is acting like a super CM.
Former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi also took potshots at Nitish Kumar and asked him to tender resignation “to escape humiliation in the hands of Lalu”.
Lalu’s younger son and Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav said his father was running a political party and there was nothing wrong in solving genuine problems of people. Seeking to turn the tables on BJP, Tejaswi asked, “in what capacity BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi inaugurates Railway station on behalf of Railway Minister?”
Neeraj Kumar, JD(U) SpokespersonLeaders in public life have the right to raise issues concerning the common man. Laluji is a leader of a partner party hence, there is nothing wrong in taking up people’s problems.
Another JD(U) spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad echoed similar views saying, “There has been no violation of protocol by the chief of a partner party”.
(With PTI inputs)
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