Bihar leader of Opposition Abdul Bari Siddiqui (right) and RJD MLC Ghulam Gaus at the news conference in Patna on Tuesday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, May 17: Opposition leaders of both Houses today demanded action against co-operative minister Ramadhar Singh who is allegedly absconding for the past 16 years.

The Aurangabad court had declared him an absconder in a case pertaining to a provocative speech he purportedly made at Madanpur in Aurangabad in December 1992, days after the Babri Masjid demolition.

While addressing journalists in the chamber of legislative Assembly, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, the leader of the Opposition in legislative Assembly and Ghulam Gaus, the leader of Oppositon in the legislative council showed their distress in the matter after it was highlighted during Nitish Kumar’s janata darbar on Monday.

“It is a very serious matter that a man was inducted into the cabinet who is absconding for the past 16 years and was involved in sparking communal tension between Hindus and Muslims,” said Siddiqui.

While dictating the speech of Ramadhar, because of which an FIR had been lodged against him, Siddiqui said: “It shameful to read out the words said by the minister but I have to do it because it would not be fair if I do not disclose his cheap intentions. He said if a mosque would is constructed on the place of Ram Janmabhoomi, then all mosques in India would be eliminated. He also said that GT Road was made by King Ashoka and if any body finds the name of Shershah Suri then omit the name and write Ashok Path on it. How can a leader use such words? This was done to provoke the masses and trigger communal tension.”

On Monday, when the matter was highlighted, chief minister Nitish Kumar had said he was ignorant about any such case existing against the minister. Nitish had said that he cannot say anything before checking the facts himself and he could take action only after seeing the relevant documents.

Siddiqui said: “The ministers take an oath of law and constitution but this is hypocrisy that a minister himself is breaking the law for more than a decade and on the other hand he is projecting himself as a saviour of law and order.”

Siddiqui added: “Shall we assume that before making someone a minister, Nitish Kumar does not check the past records of that person. This shows that Nitish has inducted Ramadhar to keep RSS, BJP and Bajrang Dal happy, he has done this intentionally.”

He said: “Nitish says that the law will take its own course but we want to know why didn’t the law work in this case. It is very unfortunate that an absconder has been taking part in all the cabinet meetings till now and on the other hand Kumar talks about good governance. This shows his dual personality. Since the beginning we have been telling Nitish is on the lap of RSS and just pretends to be secular, this has been proved by inducting this man in the cabinet.”