Why didn't Lalu Prasad seek Bihar's special status when he was in power: BJP's Giriraj Singh

New Delhi [India], July 22 (ANI): Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Monday questioned why RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav did not pursue Special Category Status for Bihar when he was an ally of Congress and both parties were in power.
"The government has not dismissed the request. Lalu Prasad Yadav needs to understand... When he was allying with the Congress and had turned kingmaker and a law existed which could give a special status to Bihar, why did he not try to bring Bihar under the Special Category Status... PM Narendra Modi allotted Rs 1.25 lakh crore package for the state and spent Rs 2 lakh crore on top of it. Purvanchal cannot progress without a developed Bihar," he told ANI.
Singh's remarks came in response to Yadav's demand for Nitish Kumar's resignation over the failure to secure special status for Bihar.
"Nitish Kumar has sold his conscience, his soul, Bihar's pride, the aspirations of Biharis, and the importance of Bihar's votes for power at the centre and in the state!" he said in a post on X.
"Nitish Kumar should resign immediately; he had promised to secure special status for Bihar! Now, the Centre has denied it!" he added in the post.
Notably, JD (U) leader pressed for special category status for Bihar in a recent all-party meeting.
The all-party meeting of floor leaders took place on Sunday and was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Meanwhile, as the BJP's key ally in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), JD (U) demanded a special status category for Bihar, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, in a written reply, said that special status cannot be granted to Bihar as per the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) report 2012.
Chaudhary, in a written reply to the question of JDU MP Ramprit Mandal informed Lok Sabha, "The Special Category Status for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council (NDC) to some States that were characterized by a number of features necessitating special consideration. These features included (i) hilly and difficult terrain, (ii) low population density and/or sizeable share of tribal population, (iii) strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries, (iv) economic and infrastructural backwardness and (v) non-viable nature of State finances. The decision was taken based on an integrated consideration of all the factors listed above and the peculiar situation of the State. Earlier, the request of Bihar for Special Category Status was considered by an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) which submitted its Report on 30th March 2012. The IMG came to the finding that based on existing NDC criteria, the case for Special Category Status for Bihar is not made out."
Bihar Congress chief and MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh said that if the provisions do not currently allow for granting Special Status to Bihar, the central government should amend them promptly.
He urged the government to make a decision in Bihar's best interest without misleading the public.
"Ever since Nitish Kumar became the CM, he has been raising the issue of Special Status for Bihar. If there is no such provision, amend the provisions. You are in power, why are you misleading the people? The government of India should take this decision at the earliest, in the interest of Bihar," Bihar Congress chief said.
RJD leader Manoj Jha asserted that Bihar will achieve Special State Status one way or another. He also accused the central government of withholding pecial State Status for Bihar despite having the capability to grant it.
"Bihar will get the special state status, by hook or crook...We have been demanding this for so long...Nitish Kumar failed to get this (status)...Just by one sign, it can be given but they (Central government) don't want to give this status," Jha said.
JD(U) MP Devesh Chandra Thakur said that the demand for Special Status will persist in the future.
"Demand for special status will be there in future also...How will the state develop and how we will get investment, these all need to be seen by the central government," Thakur said. (ANI)