Jaipur, Sep 17 (IANS) Facing criticism for not taking any action against Rajasthan Irrigation Minister Surendra Singh Rathore, who has been given a jail term by a lower court, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to order an inquiry into the charges against him.
BJP sources said the party had decided to seek a copy of the court’s judgement to study the charges on which the minister was found guilty and the future course of action would be decided depending on that.
Rathore could be asked to resign if the charges were grave.
A court in Rajsamand district, over 350 km from here, last week sentenced the minister to six months in jail for disregarding safety norms in the mines he owns.
The sentence was read out Tuesday and made public Thursday. The court was acting on an application filed in 2003 by the mine and safety department.
The minister, however, has been given one month’s time to appeal in a higher court.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Hari Shankar Bhabra has compounded problems for the Vasundhara Raje government by saying that Rathore should step down.
“If I would have been in a similar position I would have resigned. Though he is not legally bound to resign, but acting on moral grounds he should,” Bhabra said.