New Delhi, 10 Oct (PTI): President Pranab Mukherjee has cut short his scheduled visit to Bihar by a day possibly because it was clashing with a rally of BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Patna.
“The President told us that he will visit Bihar on 26 October to attend a convocation, but will return back to Delhi the same day,” Hussain said.
Modi will address the BJP’s ‘hunkar’ rally in Patna on 27 October. The clash between the President’s visit and Modi’s rally had become an issue between BJP and its former ally JD (U). The BJP had alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had deliberately invited the President on 27 October as well to scuttle the party rally.
“BJP leaders will be there in Patna on 26 October to welcome President Pranab Mukherjee. It is honour for Bihar to welcome the President on one day and the future Prime Minister of India the next day,” Rudy said.
The BJP’s Bihar unit had charged Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with misleading the people on finalising the date of the presidential visit to Bihar. Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said that the party had finalised the date of the rally way back on 20 March and Kumar was fully aware of it. He alleged that the Chief Minister was duty-bound to apprise the President of the scheduled political event during his visit.