<p>Patna: JD(U) leader Nishant Kumar on Monday hailed the efforts of his father, Bihar Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/nitish-kumar">Nitish Kumar</a>, in reducing violence along religious and caste lines in the state.</p>.<p>The 44-year-old, who entered active politics barely a couple of weeks ago, interacted with journalists at the party office where he was paying tributes to socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia on his birth anniversary.</p>.<p>"My father considers himself a disciple of Lohia. He told me that he once got the opportunity to listen to Lohia's speech at Gandhi Maidan here, and since then, he has striven to live by the ideals that Lohia had stood for", Nishant Kumar said.</p>.<p>He added, "Lohia's commitment to truth (satya) inspired my father to ensure probity in public life. And Lohia's stress on non-violence (ahimsa) drove my father to strive for peace in Bihar, which used to reel under caste and communal violence until he assumed power in 2005".</p>.Nitish Kumar's son Nishant officially joins JD(U) .<p>The proud son also cited steps taken by his father to empower women, who enjoy 50 per cent reservation in local bodies and a 35 per cent quota in government jobs, saying these were inspired by Lohia's ideal of "nar naari sammanta (gender equality)".</p>.<p>Speculations are rife that once the JD(U) supremo’s son is elected to the legislative council, he may join the government as deputy chief minister once a new government is formed after Nitish Kumar moves to the Rajya Sabha.</p>
<p>Patna: JD(U) leader Nishant Kumar on Monday hailed the efforts of his father, Bihar Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/nitish-kumar">Nitish Kumar</a>, in reducing violence along religious and caste lines in the state.</p>.<p>The 44-year-old, who entered active politics barely a couple of weeks ago, interacted with journalists at the party office where he was paying tributes to socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia on his birth anniversary.</p>.<p>"My father considers himself a disciple of Lohia. He told me that he once got the opportunity to listen to Lohia's speech at Gandhi Maidan here, and since then, he has striven to live by the ideals that Lohia had stood for", Nishant Kumar said.</p>.<p>He added, "Lohia's commitment to truth (satya) inspired my father to ensure probity in public life. And Lohia's stress on non-violence (ahimsa) drove my father to strive for peace in Bihar, which used to reel under caste and communal violence until he assumed power in 2005".</p>.Nitish Kumar's son Nishant officially joins JD(U) .<p>The proud son also cited steps taken by his father to empower women, who enjoy 50 per cent reservation in local bodies and a 35 per cent quota in government jobs, saying these were inspired by Lohia's ideal of "nar naari sammanta (gender equality)".</p>.<p>Speculations are rife that once the JD(U) supremo’s son is elected to the legislative council, he may join the government as deputy chief minister once a new government is formed after Nitish Kumar moves to the Rajya Sabha.</p>