Bihar Cong MLA caught boozing on camera

A Congress MLA in Bihar has landed in trouble after a sting operation caught the legislator on camera purportedly offering liquor to his guests, despite total prohibition imposed in the state by the Nitish Kumar government. The man caught in the booze sting is Congress MLA from Narkatiaganj in West Champaran district Vinay Verma.

Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Aman Kumar said the MLA had arrived at the Sikarpur police station in the morning to give a petition for registration of case against unknown journalists behind the sting operation. As the police was deliberating on his request, the MLA’s supporters smelling trouble, created ruckus to help the legislator get away. The SDPO said the police and Excise Superintendent Rakesh Kumar are deliberating on further action against the MLA, after his vanishing act from the police station.

The sting showing Verma allegedly offering booze to guests at a posh hotel in Patna has created a major embarrassment for the grand secular alliance, headed by Kumar, in which Congress is a partner. 

However, the embattled Congress MLA claimed “conspiracy” behind the sting. He claimed that he is a vegetarian and a teetotaler and the allegations against him were not true. A few persons claiming to be journalists came to me at a hotel in Patna and after talking on various subjects came to liquor ban, on which he said the step was being appreciated by people, particularly women in rural areas. He claimed the questioners falsely put words in his mouth in the sting as part of a conspiracy to tarnish his image as well as that of the JD(U), RJD and Congress grand secular alliance. 

State Congress chief and Education minister Ashok Choudhary said they had come to know about the episode through media reports and the party would issue a show cause to the concerned MLA in this regard.