BJP squirms as JD(U), RJD demand spl status for Bihar

New Delhi, NT Bureau: Ahead of the Budget session of Parliament, the JD(U), YSRCP and BJD on Sunday demanded special category status for Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha respectively, while the Congress's Jairam Ramesh said "strangely, the TDP kept quiet on the matter".

The demand for special category status for Bihar during an all-party meeting came from the ruling NDA as well as the INDIA opposition bloc, with BJP allies -- Sanjay Kumar Jha of the Janata Dal (United) and Union minister Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) -- also batting for it.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) also joined the chorus. Jha, however, said a special financiall package can also be an option if a special status is not possible.

Ramesh said the JD(U) and the YSRCP demanded special category status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively but "strangely", the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the southern state kept quiet on the matter.

In a post on X, the Congress leader, who was present at the meeting, said, "In today's all-party meeting of floor leaders chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the JD(U) leader demanded special category status for Bihar.

The YSRCP leader demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Strangely, the TDP leader kept quiet on the matter."

In another post on the microblogging platform, he said, "How the political climate has changed! In the all-party meeting of floor leaders, the BJD leader reminded the Defence Minister and BJP president J P Nadda that the BJP's manifesto for the 2014 Assembly elections in Odisha had promised special category status to the state."

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Sasmit Patra told reporters that his party demanded special category status for Odisha.

"Odisha has been deprived of the special category status for more than two decades. The BJD has been demanding it for a long time. Parties from Bihar and Andhra Pradesh have also demanded it and the Centre must revisit the issue with such demands coming from various states," he said.

JD(U), a key constituent in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has recently passed a resolution demanding special category status or a special package for Bihar.

Though leaders from Andhra Pradesh had been demanding special category status for the southern state, the demand has again gained momentum after the Lok Sabha polls.

Briefing reporters on the issues raised by the YSRCP, its floor leader in the Rajya Sabha, Vijaisai Reddy, said eight issues were brought up by his party, with the first one being that of the special category status.

Kanwar Yatra eateries: SC to hear plea today

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea against the Uttar Pradesh government's order that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route must display the names of their owners.

A bench is likely to hear the plea filed by NGO Association of Protection of Civil Rights. Days after the Muzaffarnagar Police asked all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday extended the controversial order across the state.