After Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij's public show of anger, it's the turn of Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das to lose his temper in public, not once but thrice in a day, causing much heart-burn in the bureaucracy and drawing sharp criticism from the opposition.
On Sunday, Raghubar Das managed to vent his spleen on as many as three people: Bokaro deputy commissioner Manoj Kumar, Dhanbad additional district magistrate (supply) Anil Kumar, and a school teacher whose name could not be ascertained.
In a pre-budget meeting with people in Dhanbad on Sunday, the chief minister angrily told Bokaro deputy commissioner Manoj Kumar to leave the room. He was upset because Manoj Kumar - who was sitting near Das - was talking on his mobile phone while the chief minister was listening to the people. Also present in the meeting was Dhanbad Lok Sabha MP P.N. Singh.
Das lost his cool the second time in the same meeting when while delivering his speech Dhanbad additional district magistrate (Supply) Anil Kumar Singh came close to him on stage. He was angry enough to direct officials to suspend the ADM.
The chief minister lost his temper yet another time when a school teacher was making a suggestion. "Give pointed advise," Das interrupted the teacher. As the teacher continued in a manner not to Das's liking, the chief minister demanded that the mike be taken away from the teacher.
Das's behaviour has not gone down well with the bureaucracy and the opposition.
"The chief minister has developed the habit of humiliating the officials publicly. The morale of the officials is going down," a senior bureaucrat told IANS.
The main opposition Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress have also criticised the chief minister.
"The arrogance of the chief minister is getting reflected in the public and officials meetings. The public act of humiliating the officials is nothing but frustration of the chief minister as he has failed to perform in the last one year. Such actions do nothing but create dramas in pubic," JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya told IANS.
Echoing Bhattacharya' view, Jharkhand Congress general secretary Alok Dubey said, "BJP government led by Raghubar Das is completing one year in office this month. It failed on all fronts like law and order, power, health and other sectors. The public frustration is a move to divert the attention of the people from the core issues. Not a single industry came in the state in last one year. Power scenario is worst ever and women are not safe."
