Patna: A controversy erupted on Monday over an article in Bihar government website denouncing Indira Gandhi, with opposition BJP and its allies seeking to drive a wedge between the ruling coalition partners JD(U) and Congress even as the write up was removed.
While JD(U) sought to play down the matter, saying the article has no relevance now and there was no point in scratching history, Congress said it would take up the issue with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The article on the history of Bihar had described Indira Gandhi as "autocratic" and said that during Emergency, the state's tallest leader Jay Prakash Narayan had suffered a treatment which was "worse" than the one meted out to Mahatma Gandhi in Champaran during the freedom struggle.
As a row erupted over it, the content was now missing from the official website but no one owned up for removing it. Information and Publication Department Secretary Pratyaya Amrit said, "we have nothing to do with this...PRD is not in picture." Director, Public Relations Department, Bipin Kumar Singh said the state government's website is updated by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
However, the opposition BJP and its allies LJP and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) utilised the issue to target the Grand Secular government of RJD, JD(U) and Congress. LJP leader and Union minister Ramvilas Paswan said since the content was on official website of the state government, it meant RJD President Lalu Prasad and CM Nitish Kumar were aware of it.
Noting that his party is in agreement with the content on JP, Paswan told PTI, "we have been disciples of Jayprakash Narayan and were with him in the stir during Emergency". Seeking to draw a wedge among the partners of the ruling coalition in Bihar, he pointed to the "contradictory" relationship between the partners. "On one hand, RJD and JD(U) are running government with Congress in Bihar and on the other hand, they are also attacking Congress, an ally," Paswan said.
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