In Patna, state BJP president Nityanand Rai led the dharna demanding immediate removal of Mastan, the Excise and Prohibition Minister, for asking his supporters to hit the PM’s photograph with shoes, as shown in a video telecast on television.
“The party would not pardon the minister despite regrets expressed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, RJD president Lalu Prasad and state Congress chief Ashok Choudhary,” Rai said in his address at the dharna site.
“The state government should sack Mastan from the ministry without losing any further of time,” he added.
Rai, who is also an MP from the state, said BJP would continue to stage protest in Legislature as well on streets for removal of the minister.
BJP Rajya Sabha member R K Sinha said that Mastan has no right to continue on the post of a minister.
The dharna was addressed by a host of state BJP MLAs including its chief whip in Legislative Assembly Arun Sinha and Nitin Navin, who has registered an FIR against Mastan.
Similar sit-ins were organised in other districts also in support of the demand to sack Mastan.
Today’s dharna came after members of BJP and other NDA allies staged protest in the Assembly as well Legislative Council for three days in a row till yesterday.
Mastan was caught on camera asking a crowd at Amour in Purnea district to hit the photograph of Modi with shoes. He made the remarks during a protest against demonetisation on February 22. Subsequently, some of the protesters were seen hitting a photo of Modi, kept on the stage, with shoes in Mastan’s presence.
The video was telecast by television channels on February 28, triggering a protest by the NDA in and outside the Houses since March 1.
NDA members also submitted a memorandum to Governor Ramnath Kovind demanding removal of the minister from cabinet.
BJP MLA Nitin Navin also lodged an FIR against Mastan on March 2 at the Kotwali police station.
In his complaint, Navin sought slapping of sedition charges against the minister, his arrest for disturbing communal harmony and also a probe into his citizenship as he hails from an area bordering Bangladesh.
Though Mastan apologised, but it did not satisfy the BJP.
PTI