Union minister Radha Mohan Singh caught urinating in open

In the picture, Singh is seen urinating against the wall of a building as his security officers stand guard. A vehicle with red beacon is also seen in the TV footage aired by some news channels.

The picture has gone viral on social media and has drawn sharp criticism for what is being described as "blatant violation of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" launched by the Prime Minister amid much fanfare.

The spot and date on which the photos were taken are not known.

The Union agriculture minister, who was in his native constituency of Motihari in connection with Eid, had left for Delhi on Monday night. The photo could be of this period when Singh attended many functions in his constituency, sources told PTI.

The minister was not available for comments and repeated phone calls elicited the 'standard response' that he was in some meeting.

In Motihari, his kins, however, were critical of the media for airing such footage.

"Urination is a natural biological urge of a human being, so why such things are highlighted to create controversy...are urinals available everywhere?" his son-in-law Sujit Kumar Singh told PTI in Motihari.

East Champaran district BJP leader Lal Babu Prasad was also critical of the media wondering if "such things should be shown by media".

Radha Mohan Singh is a fourth-term MP from Motihari in Bihar. State BJP president Nityanand Rai also refused to say anything.

The opposition party leaders came down heavily on the minister for his act, with RJD president Lalu Prasad retweeting his party's earlier tweet which mockingly said, "Krishi mantri sukhar prabhit khetra mein sichai yojna ki suraut karte hua...unhone swaccha bharat abhiyan ko gati di."

His son and Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav posted the controversial photo to draw attention to red beacon on the car near him, saying "search red beacon in the photo."

JD(U) Secretary-General and Chief national spokesperson KC Tyagi told PTI over phone, "The minister is exposing hollowness of swachata abhiyan launched by the PM from the ramparts of Red Fort."