Don’t let Madhya Pradesh become ‘Madya’ Pradesh: Nitish at anti-liquor rally

Special Correspondent

NewsBits.in

Bhopal: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday called not to allow Madhya Pradesh to become ‘Madya’ (liquor) Pradesh while flagging off a ‘Nasha-Mukt Bharat’ (addiction-free India) awareness rally from Barwani in the state.

In a programme organized jointly by a conglomerate called ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Andolan’ and Narmada Bachao Andolan, Nitish Kumar, who has clamped total prohibition in Bihar, said that people should visit his state to see the social and economic changes that the prohibition has brought about.

Amidst heavy rainfall, the leader also expressed his wholehearted support for the Narmada Bachao Andolan agitation, saying that the affected persons should get irrigable land as rehabilitation before the Sardar Sarovar Dam gates are closed (and a large area submerged).

The NBA is continuing an agitation at Rajghat in Barwani for last two months against ‘unjust attempt to submerge Sardar Sarovar affected area without appropriate rehabilitation’.

Nitish Kumar said that while travelling to Barwani he saw the prosperity of Narmada valley and the range of crops grown here. Opposing, big dams, he said that they do not only damage agriculture lands but also destroy environment and human civilization.

He handed over the flag of anti-liquor awareness rally to Medha Patkar of NBA and socialist leader Dr Sunilam. Gandhian leader Dr Subbarao said that alcohol addiction can break families and society.

Medha Patkar said that sacrifice of 2.5 lakh people on name of development is not acceptable. It is being claimed that rehabilitation for Sardar Sarovar project is complete but affected people in Gujarat and MP are still agitating to get their rights.

Earlier, on his way to Barwani, Nitish Kumar was shown black flags in Dhar by a group of people claiming to be farmers opposing NBA’s ‘disruptive ways’.

Jibe at Modi: Promise only what you can deliver

Earlier during the day in Gwalior, Nitish Kumar while speaking at a seminar in IIITM, Gwalior, took at jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi to say that only that much should be promised during elections rally that could be delivered after winning.

He said that bringing back black money and ‘achche din’ promise have turned out to be merely big talks. “Do your work and you would get publicity automatically,” he said.