LAW KUMAR MISHRA
PATNA: Bihar chief minister,Nitish Kumar who had snapped ties with the BJP last year has full praise for its leaders on Thursday.While speaking at the first convocation of the Mahatma Gandhi central university at Motihari,250 kms from here,Nitish said his friendship with the BJP leaders was “life long”.
President,Droupadi Murmu was the chief guest.
Nitish Kumar recalled his old association with the BJP leaders since 2005 when the first government in collaboration with BJP was formed under his leadership and assured:Our friendship is life long.We can not be separated.(AAp log hamare saath hain,Hamari dosti kabhi nahi khatam hogi).
He told the BJP leaders”Do not worry,our friendship will continue till I am alive:
He had full praise for the BJP government and recalled while the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh had repeatedly ignored his demand for a central university.He had made the request to the then HRD minister in 2007 and 2009 and promised land too.But,the Centre ignored my demand.
Things started materialising when Narendra Modi led government came to power at the Centre in 2014.Central universities Act was passed and facilitated establishment of central universities in other states,except Bihar during UPA government.
But,BJP led ministry inn 2016 started process for setting up central university in Bihar.While UPA government rejected my demand for one central university,BJP led government
approved two central universities at Gaya and Motihari,both historical places associated with Mahatma Gandhi and Gautam Budha.
koNitish said Bihar government has allotted 300 acres of land for the central university at Motihari.He repeatedly assured the BJP leaders”Hum log Alag Nahi Hai.Hamari Dosti Kabhi Khatam nahi hogi(Our friendship will never end.We are not separate from each other).
Reacting to the statement of Nitish Kumar,leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly,Vijay Kumar Sinha welcomed and said chief minister has now realised he did not gain much during nhis association with the promoters of Jungle Raj and now admitted development of Bihar during BJP regime.
This is for the first time since July last year that Nitish praised BJP leadership.Till recently he had been critical of its leaders in Bihar .