Bihar MLA in undergarments raises eyebrows
■ ‘I was suffering from dysentery, co-passengers in train over-reacted’
Patna, Sept. 3: The Opposition in Bihar on Friday found fresh ammunition against chief minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) after a video of a party MLA travelling by a New Delhi-bound train in undergarments went viral.
Gopal Mandal, who represents the Gopalpur constituency of Bhagalpur district, had boarded the Tejas Express here on Thursday evening.
The video, beamed by news channels and portals, shows Mr Mandal engaged in a spat with some fellow passengers who were objecting to his “roaming around” in his vest and underpants.
“The matter was sorted out as the melee led to the RPF being called and record the statements of myself and the hostile co-passenger,” Mr Mandal told reporters.
He, however, insisted that the co-passenger had ‘over-reacted,’ claiming “I was suffering from dysentery. No sooner did the train chug off that I felt the need to urgently move my bowels. So I ripped off my kurta and pyjama and made a dash for the toilet.”
“On the way, I was accosted by this selfrighteous man. I shoved him away and after relieving myself I confronted him. I admonished him saying he should have looked at my age. I am 60. He spoke of female passengers feeling uncomfortable though no woman or girl was inside the compartment,” the MLA said.
The legislator also claimed he suspected that the co-passenger was “drunk,” which has not been confirmed by the railway and police sources here. Sale and consumption of alcohol is banned in Bihar.
“The man finally realised his mistake when he learnt that I was an MLA. I also pointed out to him that I was wearing knee-length shorts and not mini-sized briefs, which could leave people scandalised,” said Mr Mandal, who is now in Delhi.