Kota row: Formulate one policy for shifting people, Nitish tells PM

Even as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that students from her State, stranded in Kota for over four weeks, would be brought back, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to formulate one policy over shifting people from one State to another.

Nitish, who has vehemently opposed bringing back around 11,000 students from Bihar stuck up in Kota since March 24, was earlier today interacting with the Prime Minister during PM’s meeting with the CMs through video-conferencing.

Last week, when the Patna High Court sought Nitish regime’s response on students stranded in Kota, the Bihar Government submitted that it was taking care of those stranded but “could not bring them to Bihar as it would violate the Centre’s guidelines and defeat the lockdown purpose.”

The Patna High Court was scheduled to pass an order on this issue (students stranded in Kota) on Monday, but deferred the hearing to Tuesday as the lawyer representing the Union Government was not present today.

Nitish, however, raised the issue with the PM on Monday as other than West Bengal, the UP, MP, Haryana and J-K Governments have brought their students from Kota by sending special buses to Rajasthan.

“Formulate one policy for the return of migrants and students. This becomes all the more necessary as some of the States have sent buses and brought their students from Kota,” Nitish reportedly told the PM.

Nitish has been drawing flak in the State over his obstinate stand in not bringing back stranded students. “When UP CM can send buses to bring back students from Kota, why can’t Bihar CM do so,” wondered Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav.