Patna: The Bihar child who had asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to get him admitted to a better school, gave a befitting reply to RJD's Tej Pratap Singh when he offered the boy to work under his government in future. Tej Pratap Singh on Tuesday made a video call to talk to the child named Sonu (11), while he was travelling for an event somewhere. A video of the entire conversation between the leader and the child has gone viral.
In the initial part of the conversation, the leader asks the child about his well-being and academic ambitions in life, also offering him to be a part of his Janshakti Parishad. The child too responds with equal enthusiasm. The leader also praises the child, telling him how his bravery and boldness has stunned the state. "I'm your big fan. You are a very brave and smart child. You are the star of my Bihar," the leader can be heard telling Sonu.
The child then asks Tej Pratap to get him admitted to a better school, to which Pratap responds with a reassuring promise. "I will definitely get you admitted to a good school. What do you want to do when you grow up? Do you want to be an engineer or a doctor?" the former minister asks. "I want to be an IAS officer, sir" responds Sonu.
"That's great! You can work as an IAS officer under my government once we come to power in Bihar," Tej Pratap tells Sonu. "No sir, I don't want to work under anyone. But I will always be grateful if you help me," comes Sonu's stern reply. The minister, seemingly baffled by the child's unexpected response, fiddles with his phone as the video recording discontinues.
Earlier when CM Nitish Kumar was on a visit to his native village Kalyanbigha in the Harnaut block of Nalanda district, Sonu -- a student of class-six -- had approached him with folded hands and said, ''Sir, please listen to me for one minute. Please support me in my studies. My guardian does not want to assist me in my studies. Please get me admitted to a private school. The quality of education in my government run school is not up to the mark.''
Nitish, amazed for a moment with the child's brave move, immediately asked one of the officers accompanying him to make necessary arrangements for the boy’s studies. Sonu later told media persons that if the state government helps him in his studies, he too can become an IAS or IPS officer. Making the best of this opportunity, Nitish Kumar's political rival Tej Pratap Singh had approached the child hoping to score some brownie points, though the boy seems to have turned tables for the leader with his response.
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