Patna,(BIharTimes): Public memory is short, but not so short to forget what was said in January 2012.
The BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday demanded trial of Jitan Ram Manjhi and his removal from the post of chief minister for his remarks against the doctors in East Champaran district. The CM, no doubt, raised a storm and subsequently retracted from his statement saying that he used the expression proverbially. He even ridiculed the journalists for not understanding the Hindi proverb and giving a totally new twist to what he had said for the larger interest of the poor patients of the state.
But on January 28, 2012 the then health minister Ashwini Choubey, now the BJP MP from Buxar, had warned the junior doctors of the state that their hands would be chopped off if they go on strike.
He said so while launching Jan Chetna Swastha Yatra in Patna and warned that the state government was not going to tolerate their arm-twisting and violent tactic.
Though the Bihar State Health Services Association had then denounced the minister for making such a speech by stating that it reminded one of the era of ancient Babylon, where the hands of doctors were amputated, none of the BJP leaders, including Sushil Kumar Modi, ever called for trial of Choubey and his dismissal from the Nitish ministry.
The JD(U) and BJP leaders––they were great friends then––took the same defence what Manjhi is taking now. They said that Choubey used the word proverbially.
Analysts are of the view that the latest episode has once again exposed the doublespeaks of the politicians: they speak different language while in power and in opposition.