JD(U) attacks BJP over denial of special status

PATNA: The JD(U) today attacked the BJP as its government at the Centre has ruled out granting special category status to Bihar and provided only a special package instead.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election campaign last year had promised to provide special category status, special package and special attention to Bihar. What happened to it?" senior Bihar ministers Vijay Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav told reporters.

"There is no proposal as of now to grant special status to any state. There is a proposal to give special package," Union Minister of State for Planning Rao Inderjit Singh had said in Lok Sabha during question yesterday.

The senior ministers of Nitish Kumar government took the BJP to task for this and said people would teach them a lesson in the coming Assembly election.

Yadav, the Finance minister, also pooh-poohed BJP's argument that the state would get three times more by way of special package than the special category status.

"The benefits of projects Narendra Modi government is planning to present as special package would not be confined to Bihar but for other states also. It could not substitute for special category status," Yadav said.

The Jagdishpur-Haldia gas pipeline, national highways and railway bridges BJP is proposing to present as special package to Bihar would not be exclusive of Bihar but would benefit other states too.

Vijay Chaudhary, considered as number two in the JD(U) cabinet, said special package is being presented as a 'gift' but actually it is 'right' of the state.

"This reflects 'ahankar' (pride) of the BJP-led Central government," he said in a bid to turn the table on the saffron party which has been accusing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of being filled with "ahankar" (pride).

The JD(U) ministers also trashed the report card presented by BJP yesterday in which it claimed that till they were with JD(U) for seven and a half years, the state saw development but after their leaving the government, governance has been a major casualty in the past two-and-a-half year.

"Its a bundle of lie," Chaudhary said.