The New Year’s Day brought deep personal grief for Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar as his ailing mother, Parameshwari Devi, 92, passed away when the JD(U) stalwart was busy meeting thousands of people who had arrived to greet him. All top leaders of Bihar cutting across party lines, including Mr Kumar’s political rivals, offered their condolences for the demise of his mother, who had been suffering from heart-related complications for the past eight years. She had returned to Mr Kumar’s official residence in Patna a few days back from the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences after feeling better following months of treatment. Doctors’ efforts at artificial respiration failed and Devi breathed her last at about 3 pm.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mr Kumar’s arch rival in politics, described Devi as a “goddess-like woman” and “like Gangajal” (water of the holy river Ganga). Mr Yadav, currently in the holy town of Puri in Odisha, called Mr Kumar to offer his condolences. Governor Devanand Kunwar, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, RJD leaders Abdul Bari Siddiqui and Ramkripal Yadav and Congress leader Sadanand Singh, apart from Bihar ministers and MLAs, were among others who offered condolences.
Significantly, Mr Kumar’s bitter critic and JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lallan, reached the chief minister’s residence in the evening to condole his bereavement. Both leaders were meeting for the first time after over six months.
The JD(U) is mulling strict disciplinary action against Mr Singh, a former state party president who campaigned for the Congress during the Assembly polls.
Devi’s mortal remains would be taken to Mr Kumar’s native village in Bakhtiarpur near Patna at 5 am on Sunday for an hour’s display for the local people to offer their last respects before being consigned to the flames at the Digha Ghat by the Ganga at 10 am.