BJP MLA lodges FIR against Nitish's minister for disrespecting PM Modi

Taking action against Bihar Excise and Prohibition Minister Abdul Jalil Mastan, who allegedly asked the gathered crowd to beat the photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with shoes, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Nitin Naveen on Thursday lodged an FIR and demanded action.

After raking up a controversy on Tuesday, Jalil yesterday rendered an apology stating that his assertion was not aimed at hurting anyone.

"I apologise if my statement or statements of my people have hurt anyone," Jalil told ANI.

Jalil drew flak by asking a crowd gathered at a programme to stage a protest against the demonetisation drive and to beat Prime Minister Modi's pictures with shoes.

Jalil, a Congress leader, was addressing the gathering on February 22 in his assembly constituency Amour in Purnea district.

In the video of the programme, which surfaced on media, Jalil is heard telling the crowd that Prime Minister Modi had said if he fails to end people's woes within 50 days of demonetisation, then he would be ready to face any punishment.

Irked by Jalil's statement, the BJP demanded the former's expulsion, while stating that it would raise this issue in both the state assembly as well as the legislative council.

"One can have ideological differences. But the Constitution does not allow a person, who is a minister in a state, to incite a crowd and to humiliate a Prime Minister in this manner," BJP's Sushil Modi said.