Furore over backwardness blame on Bihar

When Bihar was busy celebrating the 160th anniversary of the victory day of Babu Kunwar Singh, the local hero of the country’s first war of independence in 1857, the collective sense of pride was punctured by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant’s remarks. He said states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were keeping India backward, especially on social indicators. The remarks raised eyebrows and evoked sharp reactions from politicians cutting across party lines. Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed Kant and said his remarks exposed the “babus’ mentality”. Yadav also flayed Bihar’s ruling JD(U) and BJP, who have together ruled the state for nearly a decade. Two days after Kant’s comments, CM Nitish Kumar finally said Bihar was making rapid progress through its own resources even though it needs more support.

Courtesy: Express News Service