Patna: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a two-day visit to Bihar's Seemanchal on Friday during which he will address the 'Jan Bhavna Mahasabha' rally in Purnia district followed by his visit to Kishanganj a day later. Ahead of his visit, a war of words is already ongoing between Nitish Kumar-led grand alliance government and the BJP leaders.
The grand alliance leaders have raised questions about Shah's visit terming it an attempt to "disturb" communal harmony. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Wednesday alleged that Shah was coming to "instigate people to fight among each other". With the rally in Seemanchal, it is believed that Shah will launch the party's mission 2024. Seemanchal in north Bihar comprises four districts -- Purnia, Kishanganj, Araria and Kaithar. Muslims form a sizeable number in all of them.
Before the arrival of Shah, deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav also launched an attack on him. “Amit Shah is coming to Bihar to spread poison in the society, he will talk useless things. He will speak against the Muslims and will provoke Hindus,” Tejashwi said.
Tejashwi further said that the Home Minister must fulfil the promises on Bihar made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “PM Narendra Modi has promised to give special category status to Bihar. Shah should first speak on that. The people of Bihar are looking at the centre in the hope of getting a special package and 2 crore jobs every year. We all know that he will not talk about any such issue because they have always cheated the common man,” Tejashwi said at the party office while speaking to the media.
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Shah is scheduled to visit Mata Gujri University and Budhi Kali Mandir in Kishanganj on September 24. Most of the BJP leaders including state BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal and union minister Giriraj Singh, who has been made in-charge of the rally, are camping in Purnia.
The four districts of Seemanchal represent 24 assembly and 4 Lok Sabha seats. In last year's parliamentary election, BJP only won in Araria whereas Purnia and Katihar went to JDU, while Congress emerged victorious in Kishanganj. Interestingly, both JDU and BJP contested elections in alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
After snapping ties with BJP in Bihar, this would be Shah's first visit to the state. Ahead of his visit, NIA Thursday conducted raids at the offices of Popular Front of India (PFI) in three districts of Bihar including Purnia and Araria in Seemanchal. Soon after the NIA raids, Giriraj slammed both Nitish and Lalu alleging that they have made Bihar a "safe haven for the terrorists". Giriraj also alleged that Nitish and Lalu are doing politics of appeasement.
"PFI is a terrorist organisation engaged in anti-India activities and Purnia has become the centre of PFI. Both Nitish ji and Lalu ji are doing politics of appeasement. Bihar has become the safe zone for sleeper cells and terrorists having political support,” Giriraj alleged.
