Bihar Health Minister's remarks trigger altercation in Council

RJD president Lalu Prasad's son and Bihar health minister Tej Pratap Yadav blamed former BJP minister Ashwani Choubey for the alleged medicine scam in the state, triggering an altercation between Treasury and Opposition benches in the Legislative Council today.
The altercation ensued while the minister was replying to a question of BJP member Mangal Pandey regarding availability of medicine in hospitals.
When Leader of Opposition Sushil Kumar Modi intervened and alleged medicines were not supplied to hospitals for free distribution among patients for the past two years due to the alleged medicine scam, Tej Pratap retorted that the scam took place when BJP's Ashwami Choubey was heading the Health department during the NDA rule in the state.

This provoked the BJP members who rose from their seat in protest and created a din.
Sushil Modi, former Deputy Chief Minister, alleged the scam took place when Health Ministry was under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after BJP had quit the ministry in June 2013.
JD(U) members Sanjay Singh, Neeraj Kumar and others strongly protested Sushil Modi accusing the CM.

The verbal slugfest continued for some time till Chairperson Awdesh Narayan Singh intervened, following which the Question Hour ran smoothly.
Sushil Modi and other BJP leaders had raised the alleged medicine scam issue, which they claimed was worth Rs 100 crore, before the Bihar Assembly elections alleging expired medicines were purchased from some black-listed companies and in some cases at exorbitant prices.

Earlier, during his reply, the minister accepted that 13 civil surgeons have informed the Health department about shortage of 33 medicines, which were to be provided to patients free in OPD and 112 for indoor patients in government hospitals.
The minister said supply of medicines would be ensured within two months.