Ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar, former Director-General of Police (DGP) Gupteshwar Pandey, who recently took voluntary retirement scheme (VRS), joined the JD-U on Sunday evening. He met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday and later said that he has not taken any decision on contesting the elections. “I came here to meet Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and to thank him as he gave me absolute freedom to serve my duties as DGP. I have yet not taken any decision on contesting polls,” he had said. Later talking to the media, he said that CM Nitish Kumar called and asked him to join the JD-U.
Pandey quit as DGP after his request for voluntary retirement was approved on Tuesday by the Bihar government, which waived a three-month mandatory cooling-off period.
At a press conference held later at the party office, Pandey said he would be a “disciplined soldier of the party” and it is up to party how it utilises him. Asked about the buzz on his contesting elections, he said that too was the party’s call. “I was called by CM himself and asked to join. Whatever the party asks me to do, I will do. I don’t understand politics. I am a simple person who has spent his time working for the downtrodden section of society,” he told mediapersons.
On Saturday, the former DGP met Nitish Kumar and claimed that it was just a “thank you” session. “I discussed nothing political with the Chief Minister. I have worked with him for long and, after retirement, I just wanted to thank him for his support,” he had told reporters.
Pandey had earlier made headlines with his role in the Sushant Rajput case, and his comment questioning “aukat” (stature) of the actor’s friend Rhea Chakraborty for her remarks on Nitish Kumar.
