Janata Dal (United) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said that Delhi would come to a standstill if “Biharis stopped working for a day”.
Launching a veiled attack against politicians who had recently taunted Biharis for coming to Delhi only to avail themselves of medical benefits, Mr. Kumar said: “Delhi, being the national capital, belongs as much to Bihar as to any other State and we are free to come here.”
He also asked that Delhi be given full statehood to enable its holistic growth just as Bihar was requesting for special status from the Central government.
Mr. Kumar was addressing a training session for Delhi JD(U) workers as the party has decided to fight the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections “to give the people from Purvanchal and Bihar, who have settled in the Capital, a voice that would be heard”.
The party said that the Congress and the BJP has been using the communities only as a votebank and not fulfilling any promises.
‘Talk about development’
Mr. Kumar told party workers to spread the word in the city about the development work done by his government in Bihar.
“We let our good work speak for us... unlike other political parties, we do not spend money advertising our achievements. Whether it be how we transformed education, worked for women empowerment, cut down on crime, built roads or changed the social fabric of the State for the better by bringing in prohibition,” he said.
He added that 15 years back, people were ashamed to introduce themselves as Biharis but “now they are proud to say that they are from Bihar” because of the development in the State. He promised the people from Bihar living a Delhi a similar place of pride and development if they help the JD(U) win seats in the upcoming Assembly election.
Mr. Kumar has authorised JD(U) national general secretary and Delhi in-charge Sanjay Jha and Delhi JD(U) president Dayanand Rai to decide on the number of seats that the party will contest.
‘Often termed outsiders’
Mr. Jha said that development and protection of Purvanchalis was a priority for the party, “People from Bihar and Purvanchal are often termed outsiders. This is because of low political representation despite their huge population in Delhi. I strongly feel Biharis can no longer remain mere spokes in the wheel, but become the wheel themselves”
The JD(U)’s alliance with the BJP has remained confined to Bihar and it has been fighting polls on its own outside the State.
