Patna: Bihar minister Mukesh Sahni today dared Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to enter Bihar. He expressed his anger against UP CM Yogi and also his own NDA partner alleging ignorance by JDU and BJP in Bihar.
Taking potshots on Yogi's government, Sahni while addressing the media in Patna, said that the way he was stopped to enter UP, his government in Bihar can do a similar thing.
“Such kind of tradition is not good at all when a minister of one state is put in custody and not allowed to enter in that state. The Yogi government must keep in mind that in future no leader and minister from other states should be put in custody. We all know very well that hundreds of leaders from other states enter Bihar and if such things continue we will also not allow them to enter our state,” Sahni said at his residence while interacting with the media personnel.
Animal and fish resources department minister Sahni who also happens to be the supremo of Vikasheel Insan Party (VIP) was stopped at Varanasi airport on Sunday where he was supposed to install the life-size statue of Phoolan Devi on her death anniversary at 18 places. He was told by the UP administration that he had no permission to do such things over there.
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Expressing anger over the UP government, Sahni who has four MLAs in Bihar further questioned the administrative capability of Yogi as CM.
“If the law and order situation of his state goes for a toss because of one person then he must give a serious thought that how come he (read Yogi) has become the chief minister of such a big state. It is the duty of the state government to provide security and protection to each leader and citizen of the state. If this would be the attitude of the chief minister of the state then many such programmes are held in other states then it would be problematic for them to go ahead with such programmes in future," Sahni stressed.
Interestingly, there are guidelines in Uttar Pradesh, that no statute would be installed anywhere in the state without prior permission from the administration. In fact, the Supreme Court in 2013 had directed the state governments not to grant any permission for installation of any statue or construction of any structure in public utility places.
Sahni, better known as 'Son of Mallah' in Bihar, has decided to contest the UP election and is set to field around 160 candidates in the UP election due next year. With an aim to woo the voters of the fisher community which is around 16 per cent in Uttar Pradesh, Sahni has zeroed upon Phoolan Devi who too comes from the same community.
The VIP chief also expressed his anger at the alliance partner JDU and BJP alleging their negligence in NDA. Sahni stressed that whenever there is talk of NDA the names of only two partners JDU and BJP are talked about but never about VIP and HAM. The anger led Sahni to skip the NDA meeting called by chief minister Nitish Kumar at the central hall on the first day of the monsoon session.
“Whenever there is a talk of NDA we only hear the names of two parties JDU and BJP but never about VIP and HAM. Our concerns are not listened to in NDA and the time has come that I and Manjhi ji must talk over this issue,” Sahni said in the assembly premises.
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Later, when reporters asked him whether he will resign from Nitish's government, Sahni said, “Why should I resign, main apne pairo par khulhadi kui maru (Why would I hit my own leg). Our chief minister is Nitish Kumar and I will be in government. However, there are some concerns which need to be discussed within the NDA.”
In the evening Sahni visited Manjhi's residence and held a close door meeting with him for an hour. After the meeting, Sahni said that it was just a courtesy meeting and they discussed the UP election. He also said that he had come to thank Manjhi for his concern about whatever happened to him in UP on Sunday.
