BJP demands CBI inquiry into manuscripts theft

Demanding a CBI inquiry into the theft of 36 rare manuscripts from the archives of two premier institutes in Bihar, BJP today said the Centre should order it as the state had already recommended it.

Demanding a CBI inquiry into the theft of 36 rare manuscripts from the archives of two premier institutes in Bihar, BJP today said the Centre should order it as the state had already recommended it.

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"We request the Centre to concede the state's demand for CBI probe as the stolen manuscripts are not only rare but are also among the cultural assets of the nation," BJP spokesman Vinod Narayan Jha said.

"Congress leaders from the Mithila belt who flaunt development of the region should exert pressure on the UPA government at the Centre for handing over the probe to the investigating agency," he said.

The manuscripts were stolen from the archives of Mithila Institute of Post Graduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning and Sanskrit University both at Darbhanga in Bihar.

The Mithila Sanskrit Research Institute, as it is popularly known, has 12,000 manuscripts dating back to 9th century to 18th century and 26 rare ones were stolen from it on March 28, 2003. A month later, 10 manuscripts were stolen from the archive of the Kameshwar Singh Sanskrit University.

Soon after coming to power, Chief minister Nitish Kumar had recommended a CBI probe into the two theft cases, he said.

Asked about BJP's membership drive, Jha said 30 lakh people have been enrolled as its members so far and hoped that the target of 51 lakh members could be achieved.