Nitish Kumar didn't back Bihar's cause in the past: Abdul Bari Siddiqui

PATNA: CM Nitish Kumar had ditched the state twice or thrice on the issue of special package during the NDA regime at the Centre when Bihar had seven MPs and he was Union cabinet minister, alleged Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Abdul Bari Siddiqui here.
Siddiqui said on Sunday the then RJD government in the state had tried to get a special package, not special status, from the then NDA government, but the demand was flatly rejected."Immediately after bifurcation of the state in 2000, the then RJD government got a resolution passed by the state legislature demanding an economic package from the Centre. The demand was rejected by the Vajpayee government. Again in 2002, the RJD government sought a Rs 1.8 lakh crore package and special status to the state. An all-party delegation went to Delhi to meet the PM and Nitish Kumar, then a cabinet minister at the Centre, was made the convener of the delegation and urged to fix a meeting with the PM. Unfortunately, that meeting never took place," he said, adding that Nitish also kept mum when NDA government granted special status to Uttarakhand.
The leader of opposition, however, praised the Vajpayee government on the issue of special status to Bihar. "In fact, RJD MP Raghuvansh Prasad Singh moved a motion demanding a debate in Parliament over the issue. Even though the quorum was not fulfilled in the Parliament, the NDA government initiated the debate but Nitish was not present," Siddiqui claimed.
He further said he and his party were not at all opposed to the idea of special status or any other proposal in the state's interest. "But the way the idea is being hijacked is objectionable. Nitish said both the Houses of the state legislature passed a resolution demanding special status in 2006. Now, it becomes the issue of the state, not a party issue. Then why did Nitish Kumar organize the rally under the banner of his party, not even under NDA banner," he said.
"It seems very odd that Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary's residence was agog with activities while the residence of Ashwini Kumar Choubey, a BJP minister, wore a deserted look. How can a person who cannot lead his alliance partner properly, lead a state," Siddiqui quipped.