Gopal Mandal and Rana Gangeshwar had made comments about resorting to ‘politics of murder’ and disrespecting the national anthem.
Bihar’s Janata Dal (United) on Tuesday suspended two of its party legislators and issued them show-cause notices for making controversial statements. The suspended leaders are Gopalpur MLA Narendra Kumar Niraj, alias Gopal Mandal, and MLC Rana Gangeshwar. Mandal had said at a public function on Monday that he would resort to hatya ki rajniti, or politics of murder, adding that he had killed people in the past. He had also challenged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to ban country-made liquor in the state from April 1. Gangeshwar, at a function in Samastipur on Tuesday, had allegedly disrespected the national anthem by saying it was “a symbol of slavery” and praises those who ruled over the country.
JD (U) state president Bashistha Narain Singh said, “What [Mandal] said was objectionable. He talked of killings, which is against the party’s ideology.” On Gangeshwar’s remarks, Singh said, “Such statements are uncalled for. We have asked him as well to explain his stand on the whole episode.”
