Patna: Deputy CM Bijendra Prasad Yadav on Friday defended the state govt and health minister Nishant Kumar amid controversies over the alleged Bhojpur police encounter and the removal of Patna Medical College (PMC) principal Dr Narendra Pratap Singh.Dr Singh was removed after he was found absent during an unannounced inspection by the health minister at PMCH on Tuesday. He has since been replaced by Dr Geeta Sinha and has resigned from his post.On the alleged fake encounter of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari, Yadav said the govt had constituted an inquiry commission headed by retired Patna high court judge Vinod Kumar Sinha. “The commission is probing all aspects of the case. The judge has already visited the spot. Action will be taken after submission of the report,” he said.Speaking to reporters at the JD(U) headquarters after a public grievance interaction, Yadav said he could not comment beyond the govt’s stated position. “Whatever action needs to be taken will be based on the commission’s report,” he said.Backing Nishant Kumar, Yadav said the minister was performing his duties. “Action has been taken and is visible,” he said.Responding to a query on praise for the “Nitish model of governance” in Punjab, Yadav said Bihar’s development model under CM Nitish Kumar had been recognised and adopted by other states. “The NDA govt is committed to development with justice,” he added.
