Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Tuesday sought an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi for Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s remark that local people lost out to migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in jobs.
“They [people from U.P. and Bihar] contribute to the progress of the State through hard work. Kamal Nath should answer whether India is a federal structure. Congress president Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the people of Bihar and U.P.,” Mr. Singh said.
Mr. Nath’s comments on Monday evoked sharp reactions from the Samajwadi Party, RJD and the JD(U) as well.
“This is wrong. In Maharashtra, you hear questions like why have north Indians come here? Why are north Indians doing business here? The same questions come from Delhi. Now this is coming from Madhya Pradesh. If north Indians get together and decide then who will come to the Centre?” he said.
Soon after being sworn in on Monday, Mr. Nath had said, “Lot of industries are set up in which people from other States, like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, come to work. I do not want to criticise them, but the youth of Madhya Pradesh remain deprived.” He added that his government would provide incentives to industries that provide 70% of their jobs to people of Madhya Pradesh.
‘Attack on Constitution’
Mr. Nath’s statement was also criticised by the JD(U) and the RJD. JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said it was ironic that while Congress president Rahul Gandhi speaks at length about the Constitution being under threat from the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, a senior leader of his party took a stand that was an assault on the federal structure of the country.
RJD MLA and spokesman Bhai Virendra said such comments should be avoided as every citizen of the country is free to live and work anywhere.
The Bihar Congress unit hit back, saying the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister was talking about providing employment to the people of his own State and that should be a priority for the government in Bihar as well.
Positive spin
Bihar Congress working president Kaukab Qadri said Mr. Nath was not spreading hatred against the people of U.P. and Bihar, or threatening to drive them out, something which was witnessed in the BJP-ruled Gujarat and which has been a pet theme of Shiv Sena, the BJP’s ally in Maharashtra. He said the thrust of Mr. Nath was on giving incentives to employment-generating industries in the State.
“Herein lies a lesson for U.P. and Bihar where the political leadership seems to have abdicated its responsibility towards its talented and hard-working youths who have to fend for themselves outside their home states,” Mr. Qadri alleged.
