In a frontal attack on Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal that is likely to worsen the lingering impasse over the Central University of Bihar (CUB), chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday accused him of trying to divide Biharis and acting like a “lawyer”.
Unlike his earlier calibrated expressions of dissent on the CUB site finalised by the Centre, Mr Kumar’s latest verbal diatribes following an exchange of letters between him and Mr Sibal bore a distinctively combative tone. Sticking to his government’s decision to house the CUB at Motihari, the JD(U) strongman minced no words to say he would not accept Gaya, as selected by the Centre, as the CUB’s abode and sought PM Manmohan Singh’s intervention to end the impasse in Bihar’s favour.
“One cannot understand in what direction Kapil Sibal wants to function. He wrote a letter to me and I replied on each point, but he still disagrees. I do not know what enmity he has for Motihari. Such efforts look aimed at dividing the people of Bihar,” said the visibly upset chief minister.