According to a Hindustan times report, the Bihar Chief Minister is apparently miffed at the BJP turning a deaf ear to his appeal to PM Modi to impose a nationwide ban on liquor.
Advertisement
The Mahila Sammelan was all against liquor but Nitish Kumar and Babulal Marandi did not forget to tease the Raghubar Das Government and “urged” the Chief Minister of Jharkhand to impose prohibition in the State.
One hundred ninety three countries across the world and all the states in India are observing the second United Nations International Day of Yoga on June 21.
“Yoga is a natural treatment process but liquor addicts can not perform it. Yoga would be irrelevant unless a ban is imposed on sale of liquor across the country”, he said at a meeting in the Palamau district of Jharkhand on June 19.
Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has sought Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s intervention to expedite the projects under “Digital India” and “Make in India” in the State.
Taking a dig at the grandeur of the preparations, JD(U) spokesperson Sanjay Singh said, “The Centre is spending huge money on promotion of yoga”.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in August a year ago announced funds for Bihar – amounting to ₹1.25 lakh crore – out of which major amount were to be dedicated for such projects.
Kumar’s political rivalry with Modi is legendary.
Though BJP will not organise any yoga programme, Union ministers Ravishankar Prasad, Giriraj Singh, Ram Kripal Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan are expected to attend separate functions of different organisations, including Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogpeeth at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. “But once I heard the determined voice of the women of my State I made a decision to go against liquor and the result is all before you to see now”.
Nitish Kumar had earlier actively pitched a nation-wide ban on sale of liquor sales, expecting support from Modi.
“When Sushil Modi was with us, why didn’t he think of celebrating Yoga Day with such aplomb’ Now, when the trend of playing politics over yoga has been introduced by the BJP, he is swaying to their tune”, Kumar said.
Advertisement
As per officials, for the music day celebrations, like every year, classical artistes will perform at a programme in Patna.
