After SC advice, Cong wants CM to remove ‘corrupt’ Babu Bokhiria

Speaking to this newspaper on Friday, state party spokesperson Manish Doshi said that it was necessary for good governance not to induct people with criminal antecedents in the council of ministers in the states as also at the Centre. He said that a resolution seeking the removal of Bokhiria from the Cabinet was passed at the party’s executive committee meeting on Thursday.

Doshi said that continuing Bokhiria as a minister was sending a wrong message to the public. He wanted Anandiben to take heed of the apex court’s advice and act immediately in the case or “be ready to face a public agitation on the issue”.

But state government spokesperson Nitin Patel, who is also the state Health Minister, defended Bokhiria’s continuation in the ministry, arguing that the “conviction of the trial court has been stayed by the sessions court’’. He said that even Lalu Prasad continued in the government after securing bail in the much-publicised fodder scam. He said, “The apex court has only advised that the PM and the CM should not appoint tainted persons as ministers, but refrained from passing an order in this connection.”