Won’t appear before disciplinary committee: JD-U MP

PATNA - An MP from Bihars ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) has refused to appear before its disciplinary committee on charges of anti-party activities during the Bihar assembly elections.

Upendra Kushwaha, a Rajya Sabha member, told IANS over phone Thursday that he would make his stand clear to party chief Sharad Yadav and that a state committee could not seek an explanation from an MP.

“I have decided not to appear before the state disciplinary committee,” Upendra Kushwaha told IANS. He said he was answerable only to the national president and the chief minister.

Kushwaha is among 750 party leaders who have been served show-cause notices by the disciplinary committee of the party on charges of anti-party activities during the Bihar assembly elections.

They have been asked to appear before the committee Thursday to explain his position.

Two JD-U leaders, C.P. Sinha and Niranjan Pappu, had alleged that Kushwaha’s assets had increased manifold in the last few years and there should be a probe into the matter.

But he staged a daylong fast Jan 24 saying he was not against the party or anybody. He demanded that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar order a thorough investigation into his assets.

Kushwaha had demanded last month that the state government step up its fight against corruption by taking over the properties of politicians, including ministers, who have accumulated wealth by illegal means.

He made the statement after the Bihar government declared that it would confiscate the properties of corrupt officials to convert them into primary schools.