Firstpost
  • Home
  • Video Shows
    Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
  • World
    US News
  • Explainers
  • News
    India Opinion Cricket Tech Entertainment Sports Health Photostories
  • Asia Cup 2025
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
Trending:
  • Nepal protests
  • Nepal Protests Live
  • Vice-presidential elections
  • iPhone 17
  • IND vs PAK cricket
  • Israel-Hamas war
fp-logo
Nitish Kumar says haven't given up demand for special status to Bihar, indicates issue will be raised before 15th Finance Commission
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
  • Home
  • India
  • Nitish Kumar says haven't given up demand for special status to Bihar, indicates issue will be raised before 15th Finance Commission

Nitish Kumar says haven't given up demand for special status to Bihar, indicates issue will be raised before 15th Finance Commission

Press Trust of India • March 19, 2018, 18:38:09 IST
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said he had not given up the demand for grant of special status to Bihar “for even one second” since he first raised the issue 13 years ago.

Advertisement
Subscribe Join Us
Add as a preferred source on Google
Prefer
Firstpost
On
Google
Nitish Kumar says haven't given up demand for special status to Bihar, indicates issue will be raised before 15th Finance Commission

Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said he had not given up the demand for grant of special status to Bihar “for even one second” since he first raised the issue 13 years ago. He also hit out at the RJD for questioning his “silence” after the TDP pulled out of the NDA seeking similar benefits for Andhra Pradesh. [caption id=“attachment_4396593” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]File image of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. News18 File image of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. News18[/caption] Kumar declined to comment on the fresh conviction of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad in the fourth fodder scam case but said the claims of the former chief minister and his family members of being “framed” in corruption cases “could convince only hardcore supporters”. “I had written to the then prime minister for a special status to Bihar in 2005, shortly after assuming power in the state. A year later, we got a resolution passed in the state Assembly to the effect. “Since then, the demand has been raised by us relentlessly and I have not strayed for even a second. I’m amused to see those who were never concerned about the issue have suddenly started questioning my silence,” Kumar told reporters at party headquarters. He also indicated that the issue of special status for Bihar would be raised before the 15th Finance Commission. Kumar, who is the JD(U) national chief, had made a surprise appearance at a press conference convened by state chief Bashishth Narain Singh to announce merger of a breakaway faction of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) founded by former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. Senior JD(U) leader and state minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh was also present on the occasion. Kumar was responding to queries about the relentless attacks by Lalu Prasad and Leader of Opposition in state Assembly Tejashwi Yadav. They have been challenging him to speak up on the issue of special status for Bihar in the backdrop of the TDP walking out of the NDA over a similar demand for Andhra Pradesh. “Special status is a need for Bihar. We will work towards ensuring that it is fulfilled. But we are not going to issue statements about the matter every now and then. We have always placed interests of the voters above their votes, unlike our detractors,” he said. About Prasad’s conviction in the Dumka treasury case , Kumar said, “It is a judicial verdict and I have never spoken about a judgment passed by a court of law”. A special CBI court in Ranchi today convicted Lalu Prasad in the fourth case of multi-crore fodder scam related to fradulent withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from Dumka treasury in 1990s. The court acquitted former chief minister Jagannath Mishra in the same case. To a query about allegations of political vendetta and that the RJD supremo was being “framed”, he said, “When we were sharing power in Bihar, they said the same thing. I had said this could convince only hardcore supporters.” The chief minister also said his government had ensured communal harmony and betterment of all communities and that he strongly believed in “taking all sections of the society along”. He, however, replied in the negative when asked whether he would advise the same to his ally BJP which has often been accused of triggering communal tension. “Every party has to decide its own course of action,” he said. To another query, the JD(U) chief said he did not attach much importance to bypoll results and “had decided to stay away in keeping with our policy not to contest a bypoll necessitated by incumbent’s death. We relented following the BJP’s demands, though we knew what would be the outcome”. The JD(U) had contested the Jahanabad Assembly segment in bypolls, where its candidate lost by a margin of over 35,000 votes. About the Supreme Court order dismissing a PIL seeking his disqualification from the Legislative council on the ground that he did not disclose his criminal records, he said, “I was not made a party and not even served with a notice”.

Tags
NewsTracker Andhra Pradesh bIhar Nitish Kumar Lalu Prasad Yadav Jagannath Mishra NDA TDP JItan Ram Manjhi Tejashwi Yadav Dumka Treasury Jahanabad
End of Article
Latest News
Find us on YouTube
Subscribe
End of Article

Impact Shorts

NDA's CP Radhakrishnan wins vice presidential election

NDA's CP Radhakrishnan wins vice presidential election

CP Radhakrishnan of BJP-led NDA won the vice presidential election with 452 votes, defeating INDIA bloc's B Sudershan Reddy who secured 300 votes. The majority mark was 377.

More Impact Shorts

Top Stories

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Top Shows

Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports

QUICK LINKS

  • Mumbai Rains
Latest News About Firstpost
Most Searched Categories
  • Web Stories
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • IPL 2025
NETWORK18 SITES
  • News18
  • Money Control
  • CNBC TV18
  • Forbes India
  • Advertise with us
  • Sitemap
Firstpost Logo

is on YouTube

Subscribe Now

Copyright @ 2024. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms Of Use
Home Video Shorts Live TV