The Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, an ally of the NDA in Bihar, on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene over recent spurt in hate crimes against people from the state living in the BJP-ruled Gujarat.
RLSP national general secretary and spokesman Madhaw Anand reminded the PM of the "enormous love showered upon him by the people of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh" in the Lok Sabha polls held four years ago.
"The attacks on Biharis are a matter of grave concern. A Congress MLA (Alpesh Thakor) is being blamed for these hate crimes. If these allegations are true, we wonder where is the problem. The Congress is in opposition in the state as well as at the Centre while the BJP is in power at both places. the guilty can, hence, easily be brought to book and normalcy be restored", Anand said in a statement.
The party urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to ensure proper employment for people of the state migrating from Gujarat in the wake of attacks.
"In view of thousands of Biharis having already returned to their home land, we would urge the Nitish Kumar government in the state to ensure that they get proper employment here since people tend to migrate in search of livelihood", the RLSP leader said.
The RLSP is headed by Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, a former JD(U) leader who quit the party and floated his own outfit following differences with Kumar and who is said to have grown uncomfortable in the NDA ever since the Bihar Chief Minister returned to the coalition last year.
Anand also said "our party has been saying time and again that we want Narendra Modi back as the Prime Minister in 2019. Therefore, we would urge him to intervene in the matter that involves his home state. He had received enormous love from the people of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the last elections. He must act before it is too late".
Meanwhile, posters of Patidar leader Hardik Patel who has launched a "helpline" for Biharis facing tough times in Gujarat were seen at many places in the city.
Senior BJP leader and minister Nand Kishore Yadav and JD(U) spokesman Ajay Alok dismissed the move by Patel and accusing him of being in cahoots with the Congress to which Thakor belonged.
However, RJD MLA and spokesman Bhai Virendra welcomed the initiative by Patel who had met the party heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav during his visit to the Bihar capital earlier this year.
Notably, Patel - earlier an admirer of Nitish Kumar who belongs to his community - had said on his Patna visit that he did not intend to meet the Chief Minister since he had joined hands with the BJP.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
