A day after rebel JD(U) leaders raised the heat against his Government, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday renewed his commitment to the speedy trial drive and clarified that it was not targetted at any particular person or caste group. Amidst reports that upper caste Rajputs and Bhumihars were peeved over the death and life sentences awarded to their leaders, Kumar pointed out that an effort was being made to spread a wrong message among the masses. “But it will not stick. It is a mater of the judiciary and the state Government has a very limited role to play so far as court trials are concerned,” Kumar underlined. He said that the speedy trial drive was on since January last year and the police were only discharging their constitutional duty by presenting evidences and witnesses. “How can any regime stop the police from performing their duty?” Kumar asked. He said that the conviction of JD(U) leaders goes to show that his regime was unbiased. Asked about the statement of NDA convenor George Fernandes attacking his Government after meeting convicted former MP anand Mohan in jail, Kumar did not attach much importance to it. “What he said and about which government is not clear,” Nitish said and refrained from reacting further. He even brushed aside queries that many ruling party legislators were angry with the Government alleging that the jailed leaders were ill treated. About the rebel posture taken by senior JD(U) MP, Prabhunath Singh against Home Commissioner Afzal Amanullah, Kumar said that he has sought a clarification from the officer. Singh, who himself is facing trial in a number of criminal cases, had kept away from the national executive meeting of the party in New Delhi in protest against Amanullah’s statement. He had charged that the officer had tried to influence the judiciary and demanded action against him. The angry leader on Monday sought permission from the jail administration to meet Anand Mohan but it was denied on technical grounds and this has further enraged the strong arm MP. Responding to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s statement that those opposed to the nuclear deal were against development, Kumar said that people’s mandate will clarify as to who was for development. He said that the possibility of an early general election was becoming stronger with each day and added that his party was well prepared to defeat the UPA in Bihar. About political realignment following LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan’s statement that the UPA did not exist in Bihar, the JD(U) leader remarked that it was a thing of the future.
