Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Monday clarified that there had been no proposal for the inclusion of his party in the Union Cabinet and accused the media of making speculation without any ground.
“We are new entrant in the NDA. We had not expected our inclusion in the Modi Cabinet and nor had such desire. The media spread this speculation for no reason and whenever anyone from the media contacted me, I had denied it,” he told media persons on the sidelines of his lok Samwad programme in the presence of Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and some other Ministers. This was the first lok Samwad programme in which he listens to the suggestions from common people on different issues for reforms in governance.
Saying that his commitment for growth and betterment of Bihar and for which he changed the ally, Nitish said since the new Government was formed on July 27, he was busy reviewing the working of various departments and monitoring the flood-relief works.
“I have no time to reply to the charges hurled at me and if I start responding to them I would have no time to do anything else. Without taking name of his friend-turned-foe lalu Prasad, the CM said, “The darling of the media must be gaga over non-inclusion of JD(U) in the Union Cabinet and his rally but he has right to do so and nobody can help him. His rally on August 27 was a family function.”
Nitish denied the charge that he was trying to break Congress legislature party and said by saying this lalu was trying to demoralise the party and to keep it in his pocket. About Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, the CM said he has become a Bihar expert leaving behind his own State J& K.
On multi-crore Srijan scam of Bhagalpur, the CM said the moment he came to know about it on August 8, he held high-level meeting and recommended CBI probe.
“If someone is not satisfied with only CBI enquiry he can go to the High Court or the SC and plead for judicial monitoring. If that happens I will have no objection,” he said in an obvious reference to the demand by the RJD supremo.
But he added, “Whosoever, XYZ, is found involved in that scam will not be spared.” He also said that institutionalised arrangements were being made that in future no fund should be transferred from Government accounts to private organisations.