RJD seeks Thakur’s ouster from Cabinet

RJD workers, led by the party’s principal general secretary Ramkripal Yadav, staged a dharna in Patna on Sunday demanding Thakur’s dismissal from the Cabinet. Yadav had also written a letter to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, echoing the same demand.

‘‘The Prime Minister should not allow a minister like Dr Thakur to be a member of the Union Cabinet. His conduct was unbecoming of a minister. He should be immediately sacked,’’ Yadav told reporters.

Yadav also asked the state government to order a high-level probe into the incident and alleged that Thakur had links with the banned Ranvir Sena, a private army of the upper caste landowners.

‘‘Now there is no doubt that Dr Thakur extends political patronage to criminals, many of whom are members of the Ranvir Sena. He is also a financier of the private army,’’ Yadav alleged.

An FIR has also been lodged with the Gardanibagh Police Station against Thakur’s supporters for carrying arms and opening fire in the prohibitory area at the Patna Airport.

In the FIR that was registered by Sub-Inspector P.K. Viswas, the police have said that more than 1,000 supporters of Thakur had assembled at the Patna Airport with a procession, which also included elephants and horses. When Thakur emerged from the portico and boarded a jeep, his supporters fired at least 25 rounds in the air, the FIR said.

The FIR said that the police could not interfere with the armed men because they were in large number and action against them could have created violence.

Thakur has hit back by claiming that RJD chief Laloo Yadav was the main patron of the criminals in Bihar and his partymen were actively involved in the recent incidents of crime and kidnapping.