Patna,
An angry Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Wednesday asked for immediate removal of hundreds of party hoardings, posters and banners that had come up in the city ahead of his Janata Dal-United’s (JD-U) Adhikar rally Nov 4.
“Who allowed them to put up banners, posters and hoardings? And how did they manage it?” Nitish Kumar was heard asking district authorities at an official function here. The chief minister has been facing sharp opposition attack over allegations that jailed former JD-U legislator Munna Shukla had demanded Rs.7 crore from the director of an engineering college for the party’s Adhikar rally Sunday.
“The chief minister directed that all illegal hoardings, posters, banners and flags around statues of national leaders at different busy squares be removed,” Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh told reporters.
Patna has turned green with the JD-U putting up buntings for the Adhikar rally, aimed at mobilising support for Nitish Kumar’s demand for special status to the state. Besides, hundreds of vehicles with JD-U flags are seen parked at many places. JD-U leaders are trying to ensure a big gathering of people from across the state. Opposition parties have repeatedly accused the JD-U of applying all sorts of means to make the rally successful. Party insiders said that half a dozen trains and 15,000 buses have been reserved to ferry people to Patna. Big tents have come up in bungalows of ministers to put up party workers and elaborate arrangements are being made to provide them food.
