Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of opposition in Bihar and working president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, accused the central government of treating the state with a “stepmotherly” attitude during the ongoing flood crisis. He made the remarks at a press conference in Patna on Sunday.
Yadav criticised Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and several Union ministers from Bihar for failing to secure a relief package for the affected areas. He said the state leadership had not been able to obtain the necessary central assistance, despite repeated appeals.
The opposition leader drew a comparison with the response to floods in Gujarat, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi quickly assured relief, spoke with state leaders and deployed the Indian Air Force. Yadav added that he had written to the Prime Minister on September 7, demanding that the floods be declared a national disaster and that an immediate financial package of Rs 5,000 crore be provided. He said he had received no reply to his letters.
Yadav warned that if the central government continues to ignore Bihar’s plight, the state’s people may reciprocate by disregarding the Prime Minister in the future. He also questioned why the central assistance had not been secured despite the presence of several Union ministers from Bihar, suggesting that their influence was insufficient to obtain help.
