Bihar minister on a sticky wicket for asking about cricket score at press meet

Opposition leaders demanded the resignation of Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Monday for allegedly asking about the score during the World Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan, while he was at a press conference of Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in Muzaffarpur district where nearly 100 children have died due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).

The opposition RJD, Congress, HAM and Left parties leaders have demanded Pandey's resignation for his display of "insensitivity".

"Pandey was more interested to know the cricket score when Harsh Vardhan was addressing the media on how to control the situation after outbreak of AES that claimed so many children's lives," RJD leader Ram Chandra Purve said.

Purve demanded Pandey's resignation and said his party will take up this issue.

Hindustani Awam Morch spokesperson Danish Rizwan said Pandey's priority was cricket and not children dying from AES.

CPI(M) leader Manoj Kumar said "such a minister has no moral right to continue."

Pandey had accompanied Harsh Vardhan to Muzaffarpur's SKMCH hospital on Sunday along with Union Minister of State for Health Ashwani Kumar Choubey.

After Harsh Vardhan met many patients, parents, doctors and health officials, he addressed a press meet where Pandey was allegedly seen asking someone about the score during the match between India and Pakistan.

Choubey was also seen napping during the press meet but he denied it and claimed that he was "in deep thought". IANS