Patna: Terming as “betrayal” the UPA government's decision to grant special category status to Seemandhra while ignoring a similar demand of Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today gave a call for a statewide bandh on March 1.
“This is betrayal with Bihar and other backward states,” Kumar told reporters outside state Assembly here. An agitated Kumar appealed to all political parties and people from all walks of life to strike work on March 1 to protest the Congress-led UPA government's “betrayal” with Bihar and press for similar status to the state.
“We have no problem with Seemandhra getting special category status but the same has been denied to Bihar despite a favourable recommendation of the Raghuram Rajan Committee,” Kumar said.
“UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi advocated for the special category status to Seemandhra and it was promised by the Prime Minister overnight... But, a similar legitimate demand of Bihar is lying in cold storage,” Kumar said.
Congress is playing politics over the special category status issue, the chief minister further alleged.
