File photo of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday attacked Narendra Modi government for ruling out special category status to the state despite promising it during parliamentary poll campaign.
"People should understand this betrayal... Its a cruel joke with the people of Bihar," Mr Kumar told reporters outside the Legislative Council. Mr Kumar was reacting to Union Minister of State for Planning Rao Inderjit Singh's statement in Lok Sabha on July 31 that "There is no proposal as of now to grant special status to any state. There is a proposal to give special package."
"Their conscience is not clear," he said. Mr Kumar, who would be the face of secular alliance in the coming assembly election, said his party would continue to play audio recording of Modi's speech promising special category status, special package and special attention to Bihar when a BJP led government would be formed at the Centre.
Mr Kumar also took a jibe at the Prime Minister for flagging off a Patna-Mumbai Express which the Railway latter said will not be a regular train but will run only on demand from passengers.
"There cannot be a bigger joke than this," Mr Kumar said on flagging off Suvidha Express by the Prime Minister during his Patna visit on July 25 in which the Chief Minister was also present.
"Earlier we had heard about people standing in queue to board a train but this is for the first time we are hearing that people have to stand in queue to demand running of a train," he said.
"Its the rarest of rare event. The train he flagged off would run only when people would place demand for it like they do to book a train for marriage or some other special occasion," Mr Kumar, who himself served as Railway minister during the A B Vajpayee led NDA regime, said.
Mr Kumar said he was waiting to see the announcements made by the Prime Minister regarding special package to Bihar.
"Its clear-cut violation of concept of 'cooperative federalism' by ignoring the state and promising to announce a special package for Bihar from a political platform to derive political mileage," he said ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to Bihar on August 9, 18 and 23 at Gaya, Saharsa and Bhagalpur respectively to drum up support for BJP in the assembly poll.