JD(U) MPs want Shinde apology for letter to Nitish

The Congress’s miserable performance in the assembly elections to four Hindi heartland states appears to have started casting a shadow on the grand old party’s appeal for potential regional allies. The first major signal of this came on Thursday in Parliament with JD(U) members trooping into the well of the Lok Sabha to protest against Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s letter to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on the Maoist issue.

JD(U) members carrying placards demanding an apology from Shinde trooped into the well and disrupted the Question Hour in the morning. They also resorted to slogan shouting to press for their demand. Speaker Meira Kumar,consequently,adjourned the House till noon.

The JD(U) members persisted with their slogan-shouting and protests in the well of the House again when it re-assembled. Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha.

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These protests followed in the wake of Shinde’s letter to Nitish in which the Home Minister expressed concern over the rising incidents of Maoist violence in Bihar. Placards of JD(U) members termed this letter as “insulting”.

These protests from JD(U) ranks holds significance in the wake of the increased proximity between the Congress and the JD(U) over last few months.