Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar today asked the people of the state for such a mandate in the 2014 parliamentary elections that no government could be formed in New Delhi without his party’s support. Kumar was addressing the Adhikar rally at the culmination of months-long “Adhikar Yatras”at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan.
Incidentally, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was in town when Kumar was seeking a thumping majority. Modi had come to Patna this morning to pay homage to former Gujarat governor and senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kailashpati Mishra, who passed away yesterday. The Gujarat chief minister returned to his state in the afternoon.
“We have raised our demand for special category status for Bihar several times,” said Kumar, while addressing a packed rally. “But it has been denied by the central government so far. I appeal to you to be united in our fight. Today, we must resolve, so that no government can be formed at New Delhi without our support. Then we will support that government which accords us with the special status.”
Kumar also announced his plans to hold another such massive rally at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, in March. He said the dates would be finalised soon and asked the people to march to Delhi for a final battle.
In the rally, Kumar took credit for the development under his rule. He said, “We are progressing with a double-digit growth rate. Healthcare, education, infrastructure and law and order have improved under this government. Today, public money is being used in a better way, and not to fund scams. But still we lag. We have to sustain this rate of development for at least 25 years just to reach the national average. We are not ready to wait this long. We want this status now.”
He also asked the Centre to change the criteria for according a special category status so that states that lag in the national average on human development indices could get an opportunity to develop.
The rally itself was not less than a Bollywood masala blockbuster. It had loud dialogues, drama, action, songs and a packed venue. Police personnel had to work hard to control the enthusiastic crowd.
Bhojpuri singer Manoj Tiwari entertained with his songs. Later, JD(U) strongman and legislative member Anant Singh made a dramatic entry. He came with a sea of supporters from his constituency, Mokama. He jumped over a barricade and began an informal press conference right in the middle of the venue.
He stopped only when Kumar himself asked Singh to join him on the dais. The speakers continuously castigated the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.
“Yachna nahi, aab rann hoga (No more pleading, we will now fight),” Monazir Hassan, JD(U) MP from Begusarai, quoted famous Hindi poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar.
Shivanand Tiwari, the party’s national spokesperson and an MP, said, ‘Bihari community is being targeted everywhere. We will not endure abuses now. The success of this rally will open the eyes of the Centre.” Kumar said, “This is first time after independence, when people from all religions, sections, age and gender came together on a demand, which is related to their future and destiny of Bihar. This is the first time, when people came together on a development issue.”
