RJD MPs Demand Special Status for Bihar, Call for PM Modi's Apology

RJD MPs protested at Parliament, urging special status for Bihar. RJD MP Misa Bharti called for PM Modi's apology for not delivering a promised package. Union Minister Pankaj Chaudhary cited a 2012 report denying Bihar special status due to lack of unique challenges.

On Friday, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MPs staged a protest outside the Parliament, calling for special status for Bihar. RJD MP Misa Bharti demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not honoring his promise of a special package for the state, describing the current aid as inadequate.

Bharti emphasized that Bihar had been shortchanged. "At one point, even Nitish Kumar was demanding the same. Today, Bihar has a double-engine government. During his visit, the PM had promised a special package for the state. But now, it seems he has forgotten. The assistance given to Bihar is minimal. The PM should apologize to the people of Bihar," she told ANI. The protest came in the wake of the central government's dismissal of JD(U)'s request for 'special category' status for the state.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary stated that special status couldn't be accorded to Bihar based on the 2012 Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) report. Chaudhary explained, "Special status is granted to states with unique challenges, such as hilly terrain, low population density, or severe economic difficulties."

Chaudhary further elaborated, "The National Development Council (NDC) used to grant Special Category Status based on various criteria like hilly terrain, low population density, significant tribal population, strategic border location, economic and infrastructural backwardness, and the non-viable nature of state finances. The IMG's 2012 report concluded that Bihar's case for Special Category Status did not meet these criteria."

(With inputs from agencies.)