Headlines
Give litchis, mangoes of CM residence to Manjhi: Nitish Kumar
Patna, June 4
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar on Thursday directed officials to hand over the fruits growing in
the chief minister's official residence to its present occupant Jitan
Ram Manjhi.
This came a day after former chief minister Manjhi
alleged that police were deployed at the bungalow here to guard the
litchi, mango and jackfruit trees so that he and his family can't eat
their fruit.
"I am least bothered about fruit, particularly mangoes, my concern is people," Nitish Kumar told the media here.
Manjhi,
who continues to occupy the official residence of the Bihar chief
minister, and his Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) on Wednesday accused the
state government of deploying 24 policemen to prevent him and his family
from enjoying mangoes and litchis growing on the trees at the 1, Anne
Marg bungalow.
Nitish Kumar said: "I am ready to pay for fruit
from my salary if there is scope to buy them but fruits should be gifted
to Manjhi and his family."
"I was neither aware about it nor
informed about all this. Some people develop affection for a few things
within a short span of time. We are more concerned about the people and
those concerned about the mangoes should be given the fruit in ample
numbers. What's the problem in that?" Nitish Kumar said.
Nitish
Kumar is not staying in the chief minister's official bungalow in the
high security zone here as Manjhi is yet to vacate it.
Janata
Dal-United spokesperson Ajay Alok said Manjhi has again exposed himself
by a false accusation that Nitish Kumar has banned him and his family
from enjoying the fruit from the trees in the chief minister's official
residence.
However, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said it was
bizarre that a person occupying a bungalow was deprived of enjoying
fruits from trees planted there.
He alleged that this was an insult to a mahadalit (Manjhi's caste) by Nitish Kumar.