The RJD sought an apology from Union Minister Piyush Goyal for his alleged “demeaning” remarks against Bihar on Wednesday. In a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, party MP Manoj K. Jha said that Mr. Goyal’s comments are “representative of the contemptuous and condescending attitude of the Government of India towards Bihar”.
On Tuesday, during Mr. Jha intervention in a debate on the Appropriation Bill, Mr. Goyal interjected to say, “inka bas chale, toh desh ko Bihar hi bana de” (If they have their way, they will turn the country into Bihar).
Objecting to Mr. Goyal’s comments, Mr. Jha in a letter to Mr. Dhankhar said, that such a “demeaning” statement was not expected from a person of Mr. Goyal’s rank. It is deeply problematic, he said, that the Government of India is singling out one State and terming it as a “failure”.
“Bihar has been long ignored by governments at the Centre and Biharis have always been treated as second class citizens. To overcome the long-lived prejudices against our State, Bihar needs national concern and sympathy, and no sheer insensitivity towards our situation, he said. Mr. Goyal, he said, must apologise to people of Bihar for his statement.
