PATNA: JD(U), a major ally of the ruling NDA, demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi to felicitate Bihar chief minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar with the Bharat Ratna award for his sincere efforts to take the state out of a morass and set things on the right track.
JD(U) working president and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Kumar Jha raised the demand to give Bharat Ratna to Nitish Kumar, who set a 'failed' state like Bihar on the path of development and progress, at the workers' meet of the party in Bihar's Purnea district." He (Nitish) should be felicitated with the Bharat Ratna award or even a bigger award if any. He has sincerely been working on the development of the state," JD(U) working president said, while recalling the dark days of the RJD rule in the state.
JD(U) leader also made a veiled attack on RJD saying that it was known to all how law and order situation had collapsed in Bihar during RJD regime from 1990-2005. Doctors, engineers, businessmen, professionals were kidnapped for ransom during the period, he asserted.
Jha said that younger generation would not know about RJD rule when affluent people were kidnapped. Members of the business community left Purnea out of fear.
In such a situation, Nitish took reins of the state and improved the law and order situation," he added. Jha also pointed out that the foundation stone of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) were laid in Darbhanga by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently, which reflected the commitment of the Centre and Nitish Kumar government towards all round development of the state.
He remarked that RJD had no concern for the development of Mithila region. JD(U)'s leader's remarks came in the wake of RJD leader and former chief minister Rabri Devi to declare Mithila a separate state.