Bihar’s new Agriculture Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Sudhakar Singh is fast gaining a reputation for candour and plain-speaking, but his headline-grabbing comments have left the new Mahagathbandhan government red-faced on more than one occasion.
On September 25, the 46-year-old Mr. Singh while addressing a group of farmers in his constituency, asked them to beat officials who demand bribe with shoes. Earlier, on September 13, his statement that his department officials are thieves and he is head of thieves ( choron ka sardar) had caused a major embarrassment to the government. Later, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said he had asked Mr. Singh about his problems in the Cabinet meeting, but he didn’t respond and walked away.
Mr. Singh, a Delhi University graduate, is son of State RJD president Jagdanand Singh and is a first-time MLA from Ramgarh in Kaimur district. For some time, he was with the BJP too. The young legislator is known for his simplicity, straight-talk and being close to his constituents. “The problem is that when you are with the Opposition you keep raising people’s problems but once you become part of the government, you get disconnected from the same people. I’m not going to let that happen. I’ll keep raising grievances of the people of my constituency, and of farmers, whether it is liked or not”, Mr. Singh told The Hindu over phone. “Being an Agriculture Minister of the State, can someone tell me why I should not flag issues of farmers? And that too, when 80% of our State’s population is dependent on agriculture?” asked Mr. Singh.
