Patna: Union minister and LJP(RV) chief Chirag Paswan on Tuesday demanded a separate ministry in Bihar to look after the interests of people from the state living outside. He said it is also a key component of his party’s ‘Bihar First, Bihari First’ policy so the state govt can maintain data on people living and working across the country and abroad. “It’s our responsibility to protect the people of Bihar in other states and abroad, too,” he said.“There is a possibility the new state govt will move forward in that direction. We will also request the current govt to constitute this ministry, this system,” the BJP ally said.Reacting to the killing of a Khagaria youth, Pandav Kumar, by a policeman in Delhi’s Dwarka area allegedly for belonging to Bihar, Chirag said it is a matter of concern and cannot be tolerated. He demanded strict action against the accused policeman so no one dares to repeat such an act. “I will meet Union home minister Amit Shah after my party delegation meets the bereaved family,” he said.“My fight is especially for Bihari identity itself. When I talk about Bihar, I rise above caste, religion, and sect and want to restore the lost glory of Bihar and Bihari,” Chirag said.When asked about RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav blaming the NDA govt policy for such incidents, Chirag said the 15-year RJD rule created such a gap in the 1990s Bihar took time to recover from lawlessness and lack of infrastructure. “Who is responsible for this and how easily the leader of the opposition forgets his family’s rule in Bihar when everything was ruined. If that dent hadn’t been put up and every system completely shaken up and destroyed, things would have been different. It took time to fill that gap of infrastructure and connectivity,” Chirag said.
