'Stepmotherly' treatment in Bihar flood relief: Tejashwi accuses Centre

Patna, Sept 13 (PTI) Bihar's Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday accused the Centre of adopting a "stepmotherly" attitude towards Bihar in terms of providing flood relief.

Addressing a press conference in Patna, the RJD working president criticised Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Union ministers from the state for "failing to secure a relief package for Bihar".

"Whenever there are floods in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives quick assurances of relief, talks to state leadership and directs deployment of relief forces, including the Indian Air Force. However, there is a step-motherly treatment towards Bihar where he comes during election campaigns and eats 'litti chokha'," Yadav alleged.

Yadav said he wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 7, demanding that the floods be declared a "national disaster" and immediate financial assistance of Rs 5,000 crore be given.

"The engines of the 'double-engine' government in Bihar have failed. I am not aware of how often the CM talks to PM Modi, and wonder why he has not been able to secure central assistance. There are many Union ministers from Bihar, but none has the influence to bring central help to Bihar," he said.

Yadav claimed he has not received any response to the letters he wrote to Modi and Choudhary.

"Just like PM has ignored Bihar in times of flood, people will ignore him in the future," he claimed.