BJP core committee meeting in Patna shifted from party office because of protest

Patna, Sep 13 (PTI) BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday chaired a meeting of the party core committee in Bihar, the venue of which was shifted from the state headquarters due to a protest by terminated Revenue department employees.

More than 7,000 men and women, whose contracts were recently terminated, have been staging protests to press the demand for their reinstatement and also regularisation of their services.

On Saturday, leaders of the BJP, which shares power in the Nitish Kumar government, were taken aback when thousands of protesters gheraoed the party's Veer Chand Patel Marg office.

A large contingent of security personnel was pressed into service, but the protesters refused to budge until senior leader and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha had a word with them.

Sinha told them, "It is of no use staging a demonstration on the road and creating a situation which may cause the security personnel to act tough. I assure you that I will take up your grievances with the minister concerned." "A meeting with the minister would be possible only on Tuesday, since on Monday we all would be busy with the Prime Minister's tour. Please have patience till then. You may also send a delegation to the meeting I propose to hold with the minister," said Sinha.

Incidentally, the Revenue and Land Reforms portfolio is held by another senior BJP leader Sanjay Saraogi.

Although the protesters seemed pacified, a large number of them continued to loiter around the BJP office, prompting the party to decide that it might not be a good idea for the BJP national president, who is also a Union minister, to visit the spot.

Nadda began his day-long tour of Bihar by addressing a media house's function in Patna. The BJP leader, who is the Union Health minister, flew to Saran district to attend a function of Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital.

Upon return, Nadda went to the State Guest House, located in a restricted area, where core committee members gathered.

Those present at the meeting included state BJP president Dilip Jaiswal, Deputy CMs Sinha and Samrat Choudhary, Union Ministers Giriraj Singh and Nityanand Rai and national spokespersons Shahnawaz Hussain and Sanjay Mayukh, among others. PTI NAC RG