News Bihar Tejashwi accuses PM of 'safed jhoot' as AIIMS Darbhanga construction yet to start; Mandaviya responds

Tejashwi accuses PM of 'safed jhoot' as AIIMS Darbhanga construction yet to start; Mandaviya responds

Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav accused PM Modi of 'safed jhooth' (blatant lie) in his address on Saturday. Earlier, the PM said there was an AIIMS in the north Bihar district of Darbhanga.

Politics over AIIMS in Darbhanga Image Source : PTI/ANIPolitics over AIIMS in Darbhanga

Bihar's Darbhanga is yet to get AIIMS (All India Institute Of Medical Sciences) but politicians are more buy in blame game. Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya and state Deputy Cheif Minister enganged in the war of words over the construction of the hospital. Mandaviya on Saturday said the Modi government believes in "politics of development" and not "politics in development" while urging Bihar Minister Tejashwi Yadav to provide suitable land for the construction of AIIMS in Darbhanga.

His remark comes after Yadav, who holds the health portfolio in the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of 'safed jhooth' (blatant lie) in his address earlier in the day in which he spoke about the the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the north Bihar district of Darbhanga. 

However, the reality is there is no AIIMS in the region, and even the construction work has not been started.

"It is an outright lie on part of the PM to have made a mention of AIIMS at Darbhanga, which is yet to be constructed. He reminds me of Union Home Minister Amit Shah who some time ago boasted of Purnea airport, which is far from functional, as one of the achievements of the government," Yadav said.

"The fact is, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had taken the initiative for AIIMS, Darbhanga and a piece of land, suitably located just a few kilometres from a national highway, was also allocated. But the Centre threw a spanner by claiming the location of the land was not convenient," he added.

Mandaviya attacks Yadav
Responding to Yadav's claims, Mandaviya said the Modi government "does not do politics in development but does politics of development".

Saying the Centre's intention is clear, the Union Health Minister said the permission for AIIMS Darbhanga was given by the Modi government on September 19, 2020 and the first land was given by the Bihar government on November 3, 2021.

"After this you came to the government and changed this place on April 30, 2023 while doing politics," he said in a series of tweets.

Mandaviya said the expert committee inspected the land and checked it according to the rules.
  
On May 26, 2023, the health ministry sent a letter to the Bihar government informing that the second land provided by it is not suitable for the construction of AIIMS, he said, attaching a copy of the letter along with his tweet.

"You tell me why the land was changed, in whose interest was it changed?" he asked.

"What did your own MLA say in the Bihar Legislative Assembly about the unsuitable land given for AIIMS? Come out of politics and immediately give proper place for construction of AIIMS! We are ready to build AIIMS in Bihar," Mandaviya said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Modi spoke of AIIMS, Darbhanga in his address, via video conference, to the Panchayati Raj Parishad in West Bengal. He mentioned the proposed hospital while underscoring that premier health centres were set up in all parts of the country to ensure that people did not have to travel long distances for medical treatment.

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