Do not mix special category status with politics to stay in power: BJP

Patna,(BiharTimes): Reacting to the news that the UPA may accept the demand of special category status for Bihar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday said the state deserve a special status to get rid of its deprived status, but added that it should not be mixed with the Congress Party’s strategy to stay in power at the Centre. Talking to the media in New Delhi BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy, said “I have a very strong reservation when Bihar is called backward…Yes we are deprived and the word, which we have used in Bihar, is a demand for a special status. And I think the Centre should avoid using the word backward for the state of Bihar.” However, he added if the Centre is mulling over the idea of giving a special status to Bihar, it should not be mixed with their strategy or their design to stay in power at the Centre. However, he accused the successive Congress governments of ignoring Bihar. Rudy’s statement was in contrast to what Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has repeatedly been stating that Janata Dal (United) would support only that party in the Centre, which gives special category status to Bihar. It is Nitish and not any Congress leader, who have made it a pre-condition to support any government in the Centre. It needs to be recalled that on the result day of the April-May 2009 Lok Sabha election Nitish made a similar pre-condition. However, it was other thing that the UPA never needed any support of Janata Dal (United) then. While Rudy said nothing on Nitish’s past statement the national spokesman of Janata Dal (United), Shivanand Tiwary, too refused to say much on the issue of grant of special category status. He just said that “Dilli door hai (that is the goal is far away) and let us see what happens tomorrow. At least today the alliance between BJP and Janata Dal (United) is strong,” he added. He said that Bihar’s stand has been vindicated which is good. However, he did not say anything on joining hands with the UPA or Congress. comments powered by Disqus