File photo of Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.
Patna:
Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi today retracted from his alleged comments about "chopping off hands" of errant doctors, saying he had used a Hindi proverb to convey his feeling on doctors who did not sincerely serve the poor.
"I had used a Hindi proverb to express my feeling against doctors not serving the poor sincerely," Mr Manjhi told reporters when asked about his comments in East Champaran district.
"Proverbs like kad choota kar denge (cutting to size) or haath kat denge (chopping hands) are used in Hindi...but this does not mean actually chopping hands of somebody," he said on the sidelines of a function Patna.
The opposition had attacked the Chief Minister over the remarks he made while inaugurating a 70-bed sub-divisional hospital at Pakri Dayal in Bihar's East Champaran district yesterday.
Mr Manjhi gave a warning to doctors that "those found playing with the (lives of) poor will not be spared... Jitan Ram Manjhi will chop off their hands."
However, he said today, "Ninety per cent doctors are good and honest in the delivery of services but 10 per cent are not sincere in serving the poor; my displeasure is at those 10 per cent".
Reacting to the statement, Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi had said that such statements by the chief minister reflected an "aadim yug" (primitive period), when there was no rule of law.
"A case should be registered against the CM for making such provocative comments. Bihar is returning to jungle raj as was the case during the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal's) rule," he said.
Referring to former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who chose Mr Manjhi to succeed him, he said, "His remote control (on Manjhi) seems has gone weak."
"Such utterances are not good in a democracy," state Congress President Ashok Choudhary said.
"I had used a Hindi proverb to express my feeling against doctors not serving the poor sincerely," Mr Manjhi told reporters when asked about his comments in East Champaran district.
"Proverbs like kad choota kar denge (cutting to size) or haath kat denge (chopping hands) are used in Hindi...but this does not mean actually chopping hands of somebody," he said on the sidelines of a function Patna.
The opposition had attacked the Chief Minister over the remarks he made while inaugurating a 70-bed sub-divisional hospital at Pakri Dayal in Bihar's East Champaran district yesterday.
Mr Manjhi gave a warning to doctors that "those found playing with the (lives of) poor will not be spared... Jitan Ram Manjhi will chop off their hands."
However, he said today, "Ninety per cent doctors are good and honest in the delivery of services but 10 per cent are not sincere in serving the poor; my displeasure is at those 10 per cent".
Reacting to the statement, Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi had said that such statements by the chief minister reflected an "aadim yug" (primitive period), when there was no rule of law.
"A case should be registered against the CM for making such provocative comments. Bihar is returning to jungle raj as was the case during the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal's) rule," he said.
Referring to former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who chose Mr Manjhi to succeed him, he said, "His remote control (on Manjhi) seems has gone weak."
"Such utterances are not good in a democracy," state Congress President Ashok Choudhary said.
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