Ahead of state

A day before President Pratibha Patil’s first visit to Bihar, her Military Secretary (MS) was in a tizzy. Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, who represents the RJD from Vaishali, wanted to felicitate Patil when she arrived there from Bodh Gaya. Patil was amenable to the idea. But the Bihar Government was reluctant. When Patil’s MS indicated this to Singh and suggested that she could alternatively drop by for tea at his residence, he was naturally furious. Never one to give up, he stayed in office till late evening faxing letters to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the state chief secretary until the Government gave in and Singh got his 10-minute function with the President.