Minister flays Nitish govt over child labour row

8220;The practice of child labour is a blemish and crime under the law but the way your government is playing politics over it has surprised and dismayed me,8221; Singh wrote to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar last evening in a letter.

Modi, who also holds the labour portfolio, had made public the report of a panel headed by state8217;s Labour

Commissioner Vimalanand Jha, which confirmed the story beamed by various news channels showing two children being used as oxen to till the farmland of Raghuraj Singh, the union minister8217;s brother at Shahpur village in Vaishali district.

Singh said the initial inquiry conducted by Deputy Labour Commissioner Muzaffarpur, S K Rai, had found the allegation of using child labourers by Raghuraj as 8220;stage-managed and planted8221; by TV channels.

8220;The first inquiry into the charge was also held on the directive of the government, but it seems that since its report was not to the liking of the government, a second one was ordered,8221; Singh said.

8220;Modi,8221; he said, 8220;is guilty of breaching official secrecy by publicising the confidential report of the second inquiry and of acting out of political prejudice. He must be immediately dismissed or it will be concluded that the entire government is involved in the episode.8221;

Modi had told reporters on December 25 that the committee headed by state Labour Commissioner had gone to Shahpur village and confirmed the story about the child labourers.

The government, he said, had sought the opinion of the advocate-general for taking appropriate action against those involved in violation of the Child Labour Act.

On December 12, a day after the incident rocked the state assembly with the ruling benches demanding Singh8217;s resignation from the Union cabinet, the two boys shown in the footage had retracted their earlier statement and said they had been hired by TV channels to 8220;stage-manage8221; the scene.

The Union Minister had rubbished the charge of child labour abuse, saying some stringers of channels had visited Shahpur to have footage of water-logged areas even after floods had receded.

8220;When they found they cannot get a story, they approached the villagers, who helped them hire two children for footage,8221; the minister had claimed.

8220;We take needy poor people to till the land, but never force them to work, which they do for succour,8221; Raghuraj Singh had said when journalists wanted his comments on using children to till his field.