Demanding an explanation from Congress on the issue of granting special status to Bihar,Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the party should clarify its stand before the people of the state. It is now for the Congress to clarify before the people what is the party's real stand on the subject, Kumar said while asserting that no one can stop him from making the state a fully developed one. A day before the results for the Lok Sabha polls were declared on May 16,Congress had extended full support to my demand for a special status to Bihar because of its backwardness, Kumar recalled at a public meeting in course of his 'Dhanyavad (thanksgiving) Yatra' for the people's support to NDA in elections in the state. Stating that Bihar deserved the status for ensuring inclusive growth,he expressed surprise over the present stance of Congress leaders,who have described the demand for the cause as a political stunt. The chief minister brushed aside allegations of the opposition parties on law and order problems saying that measures taken by the state's NDA government in arresting the spiraling crime graph has yielded good results. We are happy that other states are trying to follow the Bihar model on controlling crime and on several other issues, Kumar said. The efforts for speedy trial of cases had worked well in creating a sense of fear among criminals,thereby,checking criminal incidents,he said. We are surprised by the charges of the Opposition that there has been a breakdown in law and order, he said. The conviction of 32,000 criminals during the three-and-a-half year of rule reflected the state government's firm resolve to make society crime-free,Kumar said. Regretting the stray incidents of killing,murder and kidnapping that were taking place in the aftermath of the Lok Sabha polls,he said: It is a general law and order problem,but I assure people of full cooperation and protection to guard them against law-breakers. On the education front,he reiterated that over 40 lakh women would be made literate in next six months. Rajesh Singh,an MLA from Dhanaha in West Champaran district,who was recently expelled from RJD,by party supremo Lalu Prasad,had also turned up in the public meeting in support of Kumar. However,he is yet to be officially inducted in JD(U).
