Bihar ex-minister Sudhakar Singh takes battle to CM turf, says will flag farmer issues

PATNA: A day after his resignation as Bihar agriculture minister, RJD leader Sudhakar Singh on Monday said he would continue to raise issues concerning farmers both inside and outside the Assembly. 

“When I talk about farmers’ problems and oppose corruption, some people feel bad. People sitting in power become restless. Officers and employees have become masters,” he remarked while addressing a ‘kisan sabha’ at Adhaura in Kaimur district. 

“If necessary, I will also raise farmers’ issues on the floor of the House besides doing so on road,” he added. According to sources Singh, who is the son of Bihar RJD president Jagdanand Singh, was asked to resign from the ministerial post by Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav when he was in his assembly constituency of Ramgarh in Kaimur district.

This is despite the fact that Jagdanand is known for his close proximity to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. Sudhakar’s exit shows that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi are not ready to allow a situation of mistrust to develop between the alliance partners.

Nitish was also disturbed by the way Singh was raising the issue of corruption in the agriculture department, and questioning the benefits derived from the second and third agricultural roadmaps, which were prepared with much enthusiasm by his government.

Sudhakar himself is allegedly involved in a rice scam. When he was inducted into the state cabinet, former deputy chief minister and BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi said that Sudhakar faced the accusation of siphoning Rs 5.31 crore in the 2013 rice scam.