Taking a grim view of the uncharitable remarks by two of its ministers in Bihar about the killing of five Indian soldiers along the Line of Control (LoC) on August 6, the ruling Janata Dal (United) on Sunday issued showcause notices to them.
Earlier this week, Bhim Singh, panchayati raj minister, had said soldiers join the armed forces to become martyrs. Another minister of the party, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh, had opined Pakistani soldiers should not be blamed for the LoC killings and the attack could have been carried out by terrorists disguised as Pak soldiers. He also described Pakistan as India’s “younger brother”.
In separate showcause notices, the JD(U) has asked them to reply within a week.
Seeking to distance itself from the remarks, party chief Sharad Yadav said: “The ministers’ statements were against the policy, ethics and norms of the party. Therefore, we have asked both of them to explain their statements in a week. In case they fail, the party will take disciplinary action against them.”
Bihar Chief Minister and party stalwart Nitish Kumar also expressed his regret over the issue. “Their statements were saddening... Party general secretary K C Tyagi has told me about the notices. Now it is up to them to reply,” a visibly upset Kumar told reporters in Patna.
Meanwhile, the state unit of the party has issued a gag order to its ministers, asking them to excise restraint and caution while speaking in public and giving statements to the media.
