The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance will have to agree to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s demands if it is to stay in power, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Tuesday.
“Tamil sentiments must be respected in the entire country. Our relations with Sri Lanka should also be maintained,” Mr. Kumar said on his return to Patna from Delhi, where he had staged a rally to press for a special status for Bihar.
Opining that that the 2014 election would be held on time, Mr. Kumar said the Congress knew the ropes in politics and was good at mobilising numbers.
The Chief Minister expressed happiness over the progress on the issue of special status. His party Janata Dal (United) took the lead and collected two and a half crore signatures. “Had the JD(U) not raised this issue, there would have been no political instrument. Bihar will celebrate Diwali the day it gets special status.”
Mr. Kumar, who met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, said if Bihar did not get special status now, it would definitely achieve it after the next Lok Sabha elections. After the rally, he presented a resolution to the trio urging the Centre to act with urgency on the demand.
“People from different religions and communities gathered for the rally to put up a unified fight. The party which sympathises with backward areas will rule in Delhi,” Mr. Kumar said.
Keywords: Sri Lankan war crimes, UNHRC resolution, TN students protest, DMK pullout, Nitish reaction, UPA government, withdrawal of support
I believe it was same Nitish Kumar who invited Rakshasapaksa for the buddist university or some such thing recently if i am correct.
It is high time the Bihar chief minister understands the International procedures and protocol before dictating Congress regime to blindly adhere to what the Dravidian outfits are telling. Undoubtedly India can play a role in bringing normality in the lives of Sri Lankan tamils but it can function only within the framework of non inteference policy in the internal matters of Sri lanka. More over why shud Bihar claim for special status? Did the rest of the 28states were conferred special status to achieve such growth. Never such status were demanded, it is purely good planning and execution of the plan in spite of corruption, the states have grown. Let Bihar follow other states which has grown without asking for special status.
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