Bihar to make preparation as per president's changed programme: Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the state government would now make arrangements in accordance with the rescheduled programme of President Pranab Mukherjee here later this month.

"We will make arrangements as per the final scheduling of President's programme by Rashtrapati Bhawan," Kumar told reporters at Patna Airport when asked about President cancelling his visit on October 27, which clashed with BJP's "Hoonkar rally" that will be addressed by its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Kumar said he has pointed out that the President's programme had come to the state from Rashtrapati Bhawan and they had no role in it.

"I had said that programme can be amended by the Rashtrapati Bhawan only. Now that the visit has been rescheduled we will make arrangements accordingly," he said.

Acceding to requests by BJP leaders, Mukherjee cancelled his programme on October 27 as he was scheduled to go to Ara to unveil statue of former deputy prime minister Jagjivan Ram.

Now the President would only attend IIT-Patna convocation on October 26 and return to Delhi the same night.

BJP leaders from Bihar had accused Kumar of scheduling President's programme on October 27 to thwart Narendra Modi's rally, his first in Nitish Kumar home turf after JD(U) and BJP parted ways on June 16.

Meanwhile, BJP General Secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who had met the President today along with Shahnawaz Hussain, told reporters here that party is thankful to Mukherjee for showing grace.

Kumar said, "the party does not want to attach any political meaning to President's visit to Bihar".