Bihar: I didn't say anything wrong, Sudhakar Singh replies to CM Nitish Kumar over 'chief of thieves' comment

Patna: In the Bihar cabinet meeting on Tuesday, when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asked Sudhakar Singh to clarify the 'chief of thieves' comment, the state Agriculture Minister Singh replied to him, saying that he did not say anything wrong, the sources said.
Earlier, stirring a controversy, Singh claimed that there are many 'thieves" in his department and he is the "sardar" (chieftain) of them. Addressing a public meeting in Kaimur, Singh attacked the Nitish Kumar-led coalition government in Bihar.
"There is not a single wing of our (agriculture) department that does not commit acts of theft. As I am the in-charge of the department, I become their Sardar. There are many other chieftains above me too. The government has changed but the working style remained the same. Everything is the same as before."

The Minister in Nitish Kumar's government further claimed that there are many other Sardars above him too.
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 of 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.
He further said that 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.

Talking to the media persons on Tuesday, Singh said that he stands by what he had said.
"I am not amending my statement and have nothing to say beyond this. People have chosen me and I will continue to fight for them," he added.
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 when he was a Minister in Nitish Kumar's cabinet in 2013.
After Singh took over as Minister in the new Magagathbandhan 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 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. (ANI)