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MP Manoj Jha objects to Piyush Goyal’s comment on Bihar

Jha asked whether Goyal's statement was also representative of the 'contemptuous and condescending attitude' of the Union government towards Bihar
Last Updated 21 December 2022, 16:03 IST

Senior RJD MP Manoj K Jha on Wednesday wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar urging him to remove from records Union Minister Piyush Goyal's "contemptuous and condescending" remarks on Bihar during a debate.

Jha also sought Goyal’s apology for his remarks "inka bas chale, toh desh ko bihar hi bana de" (if they have their way, they will turn the country into Bihar) in Rajya Sabha when the RJD MP was speaking on the discussion on Appropriation Bills in the Upper House.

Goyal made the comment on Tuesday as the RJD MP quoted CPI MP Hiren Mukherjee's comments in 1955 while describing Finance Minister TT Krishnamachari as "opinionated" and soft on corporate houses, big capital and huge global capital and drawing a parallel with the present Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Jha and Shiv Sena (Thackeray) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi immediately objected to it in the House with the RJD MP saying that Goyal could make comments on him but not on his state.

In his letter, Jha said, "Piyush Goyal's statement on Bihar smacked of elitism and was completely uncalled for. Therefore, I demand that Piyush Goyal should immediately make an apology to all the people of Bihar. I also request you to expunge the statement...," Jha wrote. He also wanted that no other state is subjected to such treatment by the Union government.

He said one would have thought it impossible that the Leader of the House would make a statement "demeaning" one of the greatest states of the Union of India.

"As the Leader of the House of Rajya Sabha, or as it is referred to in the Constitution, Council of States, Piyush Goyal should ponder and reflect on whether the sneering tone with which he speaks about Bihar is appropriate," he said.

Jha asked whether Goyal's statement was also representative of the "contemptuous and condescending attitude" of the Union government towards Bihar. "Because it is deeply problematic if the government singles out one state and terms it a failure," he said.

Alleging that Bihar has been long ignored by governments at the Centre and Biharis have always been treated as second-class citizens, he said Bihar needs national concerns and sympathy and "not sheer insensitivity" to overcome the "long-lived prejudices".

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(Published 21 December 2022, 16:03 IST)

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