Bihar Excise minister Abdul Jalil Mastan. (Image: CNN-News18/TV Grab)
Patna: Bihar assembly on Wednesday saw a massive face-off between BJP and the ruling camp over Bihar Excise minister Abdul Jalil Mastan’s comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Abdul Mastan kicked up a controversy by asking the crowd gathered at a programme to protest the Centre’s demonetisation move and to hit the photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with shoes.
With the video being telecast on a local TV channel on Wednesday, a fuming BJP said it would raise the issue in the state Assembly as well as the Legislative Council on Wednesday, demanding Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to sack the minister.
The video shows the MLA telling the people to hit the PM’s photograph with shoes. A few supporters then hit the photograph of the PM kept on a chair on the stage with shoes while the minister was present on the dais.
In the video, Mastan was heard telling the crowd that it was the PM who had said that if he failed to end people’s woes within 50 days of demonetisation, he was prepared to face any punishment.
The BJP MLAs boycotted the session demanding his resignation.
Mastan is a Congress MLA and his party has expressed regret over the comments.
Meanwhile, Mastan has issued an apology
Later, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar termed the comments indecent while deputy CM Tejaswee Yadav also regretted his minister’s remarks.
State Congress president and minister Ashok Choudhary said though he has not seen the video, but “people in public life should keep control over their language.”