A day after Union minister Giriraj Singh on March 6 asked the people of his constituency, Begusarai, to beat with stick those officials and elected representatives who are insensitive to their problems Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar asked as to how appropriate it is to use an expression like ‘peetai’ (beating). He also said that it is better to ask the Union minister himself about it.
While speaking at an agriculture institute in Khodawandpur in his parliamentary constituency, Giriraj regretted that he often receives complaint from the common masses that the officials pay little heed to their grievances.
He said whenever people come to him with such complaints he would reply that the elected representatives and officials are bound to work for them. If they do not listen to them, people should hit them with bamboo stick on their head.
He said that in such a situation he would surely back the people.
On the other hand, the leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, while criticising the remarks of the Union fisheries minister said that it reflects the growing anarchy in Bihar where the officials do not listen to the people.
Meanwhile, the deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad tried to downplay the remarks by stating that Giriraj Singh might have got carried away by emotions and that he should avoid giving such statements.
This is not the first time that Giriraj has made such off-the-cuff remarks. In private, officials of Bihar are expressing strong resentment over such utterances by a Union minister.
