Rahul troubled in Bihar because Nitish no longer controls admin: Congress

The Congress on Friday claimed that attempts to scuttle in Bihar would not have been possible if chief minister Nitish Kumar had "even 1 per cent control" over the administration.

Addressing a press conference at the state Congress headquarters Sadaqat Ashram, the party's in-charge for Bihar Krishna Allavaru alleged that permission for the programme at Darbhanga on Thursday at the eleventh hour, "under pressure" from senior bureaucrats and BJP ministers who have become "super CM".

"It must be admitted that Nitish Kumar is not a man who would give consent to a conspiracy for preventing the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha from interacting with students," said Allavaru, referring to Gandhi's address at 'Shiksha Nyay Samvad', in defiance of the administration which had refused to grant permission for the programme at the Ambedkar hostel.

He said that initially, the administration in Darbhanga was helping the Congress in arranging the function.

"We announced the function on 13 April. A day later, roads and high-tension wires in the vicinity were being repaired. A canopy was set up at the venue with the administration's support. But, under pressure from the super CMs, they came out with a letter informing us that they will not allow the function to be held at the spot," he claimed.

"When Rahul Gandhi arrived, he had a word with the administration. Upon being told that a political programme could not be allowed inside a hostel, he offered to go there alone and interact with students. When even that was not accepted, Gandhi said he would stand outside the hostel and the students would come there to interact with him," he said.

Allavaru claimed that the administration agreed to this proposal, but "more mischief was on display" when the gates of the Lalit Narayan Mithila University were locked to prevent Gandhi's car from entering.

"It was then that we decided to show that we are not like the BJP, which after being fired upon," said the Congress leader, in a tongue-in-cheek reference to India's recent military standoff with Pakistan.

State Congress president Rajesh Kumar, AICC secretary Sushil Pasi and working president of Gujarat Congress Jignesh Mevani were present at the press conference.