PATNA: Former Janata Dal United (JD-U) MLA Shyam Bahadur Singh on Tuesday announced that he would organise a piyakkad sammelan or conference of drunkards at Gandhi Maidan in Siwan district to put pressure on the state government to allow certain relaxations for alcoholics. He did not disclose the date of the proposed convention, the first of its kind in Bihar where consumption, manufacture, storage and sell of liquor is banned.
When reminded of the stringent prohibition law, the ex-legislator said, “Is Chief Minister Nitish Kumar above the law? When leaders of all political parties are demanding for a review and even the court has expressed displeasure over piling of cases, he (Nitish) should think over it.” Singh, who has often hogged the limelight for wrong reasons in the past, said he would not hesitate to support RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav if the latter promised to revoke prohibition. Moreover, Nitish’s support base has reduced in the state, he added.
The 58-year-old said he would also invite non-alcoholics at the convention. “If required, I may offer liquor to some habitual alcoholics in a limited quantity,” he asserted. The former JD-U legislator from Barharia in Siwan said he was not afraid of his political career. “I don’t want to contest elections anymore,” he said.
Singh’s remarks come at a time when Chief Minister Nitish is facing criticism from all quarters for imposing the prohibition. Even BJP state chief Sanjay Jaiswal and former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi have demanded review of the law. Both BJP and Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha are allies of the ruling NDA in the state.
However, Deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad denied any amendment in the prohibition law. “The government is making efforts to enforce the law more effectively,” he said. BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi corroborated Prasad’s statement. Taking a dig at the RJD leader Tejashwi, he said, “Will Tejashwi announce that he will scrap the prohibition law, if RJD comes to power in future?”