NEW DELHI: The Bihar assembly witnessed a heated debate between chief minister Nitish Kumar and the leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday. While Yadav questioned the process of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by the Election Commission (ECI), Kumar defended the work done by his government.
When the assembly speaker Nand Kishor Yadav allowed Yadav to make a statement on the SIR, the RJD leader raised questions on the requirement of 11 documents and the short time being given by the EC, asking how poor people would provide so many documents. Kumar got agitated and intervened, reminding Yadav of his parents' tenures as CM and calling him a "child".
"When you were young, your parents were chief ministers. Do you know the situation back then? We left you (the Mahagathbandhan or the grand alliance) because you were not doing good work. Elections are coming up this year, and people will think about what to do. Our government has done a lot of work. These people just say anything for elections," Kumar said. "Did women ever get anything before? We have done a lot for women. RJD didn't do anything for Muslims. We have worked for Muslims. You are just a kid, what do you know? People used to not even step out of their homes in Patna in the evening. We will go to the people with the work we have done."
Earlier, Yadav raised concerns over the SIR process, questioning its timing, impartiality and feasibility, especially for the state's large migrant population.
"I asked for only four things. The voter list was first published in February, and after the Lok Sabha election, a revision could have been done. Instead, they are rushing everything now. They are demanding 11 documents, which poor people do not have. Where will poor people get so many documents in just 25 days?" Yadav said.
When the assembly speaker Nand Kishor Yadav allowed Yadav to make a statement on the SIR, the RJD leader raised questions on the requirement of 11 documents and the short time being given by the EC, asking how poor people would provide so many documents. Kumar got agitated and intervened, reminding Yadav of his parents' tenures as CM and calling him a "child".
"When you were young, your parents were chief ministers. Do you know the situation back then? We left you (the Mahagathbandhan or the grand alliance) because you were not doing good work. Elections are coming up this year, and people will think about what to do. Our government has done a lot of work. These people just say anything for elections," Kumar said. "Did women ever get anything before? We have done a lot for women. RJD didn't do anything for Muslims. We have worked for Muslims. You are just a kid, what do you know? People used to not even step out of their homes in Patna in the evening. We will go to the people with the work we have done."
Earlier, Yadav raised concerns over the SIR process, questioning its timing, impartiality and feasibility, especially for the state's large migrant population.
"I asked for only four things. The voter list was first published in February, and after the Lok Sabha election, a revision could have been done. Instead, they are rushing everything now. They are demanding 11 documents, which poor people do not have. Where will poor people get so many documents in just 25 days?" Yadav said.
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