The ruling JD(U) MLA from Gopalpur in Bhagalpur district, Gopal Mandal, was caught on camera while moving in a government hospital in the district with a revolver and saying, “it’s my style”. The video of the MLA has gone viral on social media.
The MLA on October 3 has gone to the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital for the CT scan of his granddaughter in Bhagalpur. The gun-toting MLA created commotion for some time inside the hospital, flaunting the revolver.
Mr. Mandal is a four-time MLA from Gopalpur and has often been courting controversy with his antics.
When he was asked by the hospital staff about revolver in his hand inside the hospital, he said, “it’s my style”. “Haath mein lekar nahi challenge to kya kamar mein rakhenge ? (if I’ll not take this [revolver] in hand, shall I take this in my waist?)”, said the bahubali (heavy weight) MLA. When the video surfaced on social media on Wednesday, Mr. Mandal said he had got licence for the revolver and had all necessary papers for this and he “carries the firearm for his self defence”. He said he faced threats from political rivals as he was to contest the coming parliamentary polls next year.
Faces many cases
Mr. Mandal had courted controversy on a number of occasions. Once he was caught on camera while travelling in underwear inside coach A-1 of Tejas Rajdhani express in September 2021. He also hit headlines for dancing with orchestra girls, threatening a doctor, a police official of the district and accused of grabbing land. A number of cases have been registered against Mr. Mandal but the MLA said they were all lodged by his political rivals.
Opposition BJP leaders mocked the Nitish Kumar government over the video of the JD(U) MLA with revolver. “The Chief Minister always used to say there is rule of law in the State but he should also see what his party MLA is doing with a revolver while moving in a government hospital. Is this the rule of law? Will the district officials now cancel Mr. Mandal’s weapon licence for flaunting it publicly?. Isn’t Mr. Mandal a habitual offender?”, asked State BJP leader and general secretary of the party’s OBC (Other Backward Classes) front, Nikhil Anand.
