That Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi does not figure in Nitish Kumars scheme of things is common knowledge. What has come as a revelation is the fact that the BJPs other Modi Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi too does not fit the Bihar Chief Ministers bill,going by the advertisement put out by the state government ahead of his yatra. In the build-up to Nitishs Sewa Yatra beginning on November 9 from West Champaran,the state government has come out with an advertisement,highlighting its anti-corruption drive against public servants. While the advertisement showcases the states flagship anti-graft law,Bihar Special Courts Act,2009,and actions taken under the anti-graft laws,it makes no mention of Sushil Kumar Modi neither his name nor his picture. Called Bhrashtachar ke khilaf jung ,the full-page advertisement has been prepared by the Vigilance Department and released by the Public Relations Department. As a matter of unwritten protocol,the state government departments include pictures of the CM and Deputy CM in their advertisements without fail. This is perhaps the first time that the Deputy CM has not found any place in this mega government advertisement,which boasts of the NDA governments zero tolerance policy against corruption,and lists year-wise break-up of a number of registered corruption cases against public servants and arrests till 2011. The obvious explanation from government quarters for not carrying Modis picture is that the CMs picture has been put because he holds the Vigilance Department. But this holds no water as the General Administration Department,which is also under the CM,duly carries the Deputy CMs photo in its advertisements,the recent example being the advertisement campaign on the Right to Public Services Act. Bihar BJP state president C P Thakur minces no words. It is surprising that Sushil Kumar Modis picture is not there in the advertisement. As it is a government advertisement,the BJP should be given due credit for major government policies and programmes. We will surely look into it, he told The Indian Express . However,the Vigilance Department has its own take on the issue. Vigilance Principal Secretary A K Chauhan first said it was the Public Relations Department that released the ad. But when told that it was the Vigilance Department which prepared the advertisement,leaving the Public Relations Department only to release it,Chauhan said: The CM is minister in charge of vigilance. The advertisement mentions how the Vigilance Department lodged 658 corruption cases and arrested 527 people between 2006 and 2011.
