Frustration, Anger Sets in among Ousted Ministers
Patna: April 14, 2008
Angry supporters of the ousted Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Patna and other parts of the state went on a rampage on Monday and burnt the effigies of party state president Radha Mohan Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi for removing former Sports, Art & Culture Minister Janardan Singh Sigriwal and former Health Minister Chandramohan Rai.
Chanting anti-Modi and Singh slogans, dozens of Sigriwal and Rai's supporters surrounded the state headquarters in Patna and tried to inflict damage on the building while clashing with other BJP leaders.
Demanding clarification for the sacking of both Sigriwal and Rai, their supporters said Modi had some explaining to do or resign himself for 'playing dirty politics' with their future with the party.
Some district-level office bearers intervened and the diffused the situation before it got any worse.
Meanwhile, Rai pooh-poohed the allegations of 'non-performance' that led to his eventual ouster.
"I am not too worried about losing the ministry but I can assure you that under my leadership, the health department made more strides than any other department so I don't buy the argument that I was under-performing," Rai who was surrounded by his supporters from Saran district said.
Saran district party president Ashok Kumar Singh, an ardent supporter of Sigriwal, even threatened to resign en masse with other BJP leaders in Saran if Sigriwal was not reinstated in the NDA Cabinet.
Reports of skirmishes between two factions of the BJP in Sasaram were also received after the sulking supporters of ex-legislator Rameshwar Prasad and the celebrating followers of newly-inducted minister Awadhesh Narayan Singh clashed with each other while taking verbal swipes at Modi and Radha Mohan Singh.
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