‘I stand by what I have said’: Bihar Agriculture Minister Sudhakar Singh on his comment ‘Sardar of thieves’

Image Credit: ANI; Representational Image

New Delhi: Bihar Agriculture Minister Sudhakar Singh said that he stands by what he has said in his previous statement. “I stand by what I have said. I am not amending my statement. I have nothing to say beyond that. People have chosen me and will continue to fight for them” he said.

Patna | I stand by what I have said. I am not amending my statement. I have nothing to say beyond that. People have chosen me and will continue to fight for them: Bihar Agriculture Minister Sudhakar Singh https://t.co/nyUu6kgC7H pic.twitter.com/vy4JwQp7fm

— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2022

While addressing a public meeting in Kaimur, Singh attacked the Nitish Kumar-led coalition government in Bihar. The minister quoted, “There is not a single wing of our (agriculture) dept that does not commit acts of theft. As I am the in-charge of the department, I become their Sardar (chief)...There are many more people above me”

The government has changed, but the working style remained the same. Everything is the same as before. "He alleged that Bihar State Seed Corporation embezzled around Rs 200 crore in the name of giving relief to farmers." The farmers who had to cultivate good quality paddy, do not take paddy seeds from Bihar State Seed Corporation.

 Even if they take it for some reason, they do not put it in their fields. Instead of giving relief to the farmers, the seed corporations steal Rs 100-150 crore."Without naming, Singh further attacked Janata Dal (United) MLA from Chainpur and the Minority Affairs Minister Mohammad Jama Khan saying that the latter had been a minister in the government even before but the condition of the people in the region hardly changed. 

"Now there are two ministers from the district. Even after that, if the situation does not change, then what is the benefit of becoming a minister” Kaimur district is full of corrupt officials." 

Notably, Bihar Agriculture Minister Sudhakar Singh had earlier come into controversy over `rice embezzlement`

Sudhakar Singh is the son of Rashtriya Janat Dal (RJD) state president Jagdanand Singh, a prominent leader in Bihar. Sudhakar Singh is an MLA from the Ramgarh seat of Buxar. There are allegations of a rice scam while he was a minister in Nitish Kumar`s cabinet in 2013. After Singh took over as Minister in the new Mahagathbandhan government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked the coalition government over the matter.

"They should see the court's order in the matter. Allegations are always made but not always true. The scam, if it happened, happened under their rule. Why did not they take this up then?" Singh said on BJP taking him up for a rice scam case against him.