The ruling party JD (U) on Thursday suspended former party MLA Lallan Ram for being caught on camera while drinking beer and ridiculing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for imposing prohibition in Bihar.
The ex-MLA was arrested and sent to jail after a case was lodged against him by the State excise department for violation of prohibition law.
“We’ve suspended ex-MLA Lallan Ram from the party with immediate effect for his involvement in such activity, which is against the State government's prohibition policy,” said State JD(U) president Bashistha Narayan Singh. Mr Ram was party’s MLA from Kutumba Assembly constituency in Aurangabad district from 2010-2015 and was holding the post of organising secretary.
The video, which showed Lallan Ram, 36, wearing a vest and lungi and drinking beer while ridiculing the Chief Minister, went viral and was shown on local TV channels as well.
“The former MLA Lallan Ram has been arrested on the basis of the video in which he was seen consuming beer and which was broadcast on various TV channels also… he has been booked for violating the provisions of the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Act 2016,” said O P Mandal, Assistant Excise Commissioner.
After his arrest, the former MLA told media persons that the alleged video was “fabricated and a conspiracy against him”. “I can never said such things against my leader Nitish Kumar... My community of lower caste people has been benefited a lot through this ban on liquor,” said Mr. Ram.
