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When asked about it, Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap defiantly said that he doesn't recognise each person he clicks a photograph with. M I Khan reports.
In an embarrassment to Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, a photograph of wanted sharpshooter Mohammad Kaif -- wanted in the murder of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan in Bihar’s Siwan district -- along with the chief’s son and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap has emerged and gone viral on social media.
When asked about the photograph alongwith the wanted man, Lalu’s son said, “Ek hazar log mere saath photo khinchate hai. Main har koi to nahin pahchan sakta (Thousands of people click photographs with me. I don’t recognise each and one of them).”
He further alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was responsible for making the photograph go viral.
Mohammad Kaif, who is absconding as per police records, was last seen standing beside former RJD MP and criminal-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin soon after his release from Bhagalpur jail on Saturday has already raised questions about the state’s claims of rule of law and good governance.
Siwan Superintendent of Police Saurav Kumar has ordered an investigation into Kaif’s presence along with Shahabuddin.
His younger brother and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav also jumped to his defence.
“Is it written on somebody’s forehead what he is?” he said on the photograph of Kaif with Tej Pratap Yadav.
“Does Prime Minister Narendra Modi verify the background of everybody he shares dais in a function or meet?” he said in a counter-offensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph had appeared with jailed religious leader Asaram Bapu... Did Modi resign?” Tejaswi said.
He was reacting to a question that should Tej Pratap resign after the surfacing of a photo of him and absconding shooter Mohammad Kaif.
“We go to public platforms where it’s not written on people’s foreheads what somebody is,” Yadav said.
To a barrage of questions on former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, he posed a counter question to mediapersons as to what good the debate on Shahabuddin would do to citizens of Bihar.
Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Prem Kumar used the opportunity to attack the state government, saying this reflected the state giving shelter to criminals.
Meanwhile, Siwan Police said their were looking for Kaif and Mohammad Javed, who have been absconding in connection with the killing of the scribe of a Hindi vernacular on May 9 this year.
“We are conducting raids at their residences and other known whereabouts, but so far no success has been achieved,” Siwan Superintendent of Police Saurav Kumar Sah said.
Asked about photograph shown today of Kaif with minister Tej Pratap Yadav, the SP said, “Such things does not come under our domain. Our focus is to search for the absconders in the murder of the journalist.”
With inputs from PTI.
Image: Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap with Mohammad Kaif.