Demand for special status to continue: Nitish

The ruling Janata Dal (United), to which both Kumar and Yadav belong, had to face the Opposition’s fire after the minister said there was no point pursuing the demand for a special status for Bihar and that the state government would instead press for a special package.

Two days after one of his ministers announced that Bihar would no longer seek special category status, chief minister Nitish Kumar Wednesday said his government had not dropped the demand and will pursue it.

CM Nitish Kumar at Bihar Assembly in Patna on Wednesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

Defending his planning and development minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav, the CM told reporters, “This was his (minister’s) way of speaking. The demand for special status for Bihar is quite old and it will continue.”

Kumar was talking to reporters after reviewing preparations for the proposed visit of President Ram Nath Kovind to participate in the celebrations being organized to mark the centenary year of the Bihar Legislative Assembly building, which hosted the inaugural session of the joint Bihar and Orissa Provincial Council on February 7, 1921.

The ruling Janata Dal (United), to which both Kumar and Yadav belong, had to face the Opposition’s fire after the minister said there was no point pursuing the demand for a special status for Bihar and that the state government would instead press for a special package.

Kumar denied having received any letter from leader of opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav urging him to seek an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a meeting with an all-party delegation from the state to apprise him about the damage caused to the state due to floods and excessive rain. “I am yet to get that letter but came to know through media. However, there is no need for this. There is a procedure for this. A central team had visited the flood-affected areas to access the damage and on the basis assistance will be provided,” said Kumar.

Tejashwi on Wednesday claimed he had written to the CM urging that an all-party delegation should meet PM on the issue of floods and inter-linking of rivers.