Zee Media Bureau
Patna: With the BJP demanding Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to immediately sack state’s Rural Works Department Minister Bhim Singh for his insensitive remark on LoC martyrs, the ruling Janata Dal on Friday asked it to stop politicizing the issue.
Speaking to reporters, JD (U) leader Shivanand Tiwari said that the BJP should now stop trying to take political mileage out of every issue.
Tiwari further said, “Bhim Singh has already apologised for his remark and now there is no point in asking for his resignation.”
The reaction Tiwari came in the wake of demands from the BJP that state’s Rural Works Department Minister Bhim Singh be sacked for his disgraceful remark that people join police and armed forces only to die.
Singh had on Thursday created a stir by saying, “Jawans (soldiers) are born to be martyred. Why else do people join Army and the police force?."
With the opposition raking up the issue, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rapped Bhim Singh for his insensitive comments.
Singh later apologised and said his statements had been distorted and taken out of context.
Kumar had reportedly asked Singh to immediately tender an unconditional apology to the families of the martyred soldiers hailing from Bihar, withdraw the remark and not to repeat such statements in the future.
Bhim Singh’s comments came on a day when the bodies of the five soldiers killed in Jammu and Kashmir by the Pakistani Army were cremated with full state honours in Bihar and Maharashtra.
When asked why his party, Janata Dal (United), was not represented at the arrival of bodies of martyrs at Patna airport, Singh asked the reporter if his father or mother went to the airport to receive martyrs.
Reacting to his comments, estranged ally BJP hit out at JD(U), saying it has no sentiments.
BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, "This is simply obnoxious, shocking and shameless... any word is less to condemn the statement."
With IANS inputs
