Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary on Tuesday indirectly criticized former Prime Minister and RJD leader Rabri Devi over her refusal to vacate an official bungalow that has since been allotted to a minister in the NDA government.
The controversy erupted after the Building Construction Department issued an order allocating the house to Dairy and Fisheries Minister Nand Kishore Ram.
Read also | Frequent reminders, a resolute Rabri: Why a high-profile address in Patna is at the center of a row between the BJP and the RJD
Rabri Devi, who was on leave when the order was issued, returned to Patna and made it clear that she had no intention of leaving home.
Bihar CM attacks Rabri Devi over bungalow notice
The Prime Minister criticized the former Prime Minister, saying that it is “not a monarchy” as anyone can refuse to vacate a government headquarters. While talking about this matter, Chaudhry did not mention the name of the opposition party or any of its leaders.
He was addressing people at Sahyog camp in Sheikhupura, Bihar, a program launched by the state government aimed at ensuring faster redressal of public complaints related to various departments.
The BJP leader, who the RJD frequently mentions that his political journey began as a minister in the Rabri Devi government, took aim at the opposition party and said: “Some people think that a small house is a kind of inheritance (babuti). There is a need for one house for the mother and another for the son. This is not a monarchy.”
Notably, Rabri Devi still resides at 10, Ring Road and has refused to move to 39, Hardinge Road, the residence allotted to her as Leader of the Opposition in the state legislature. Her son Tejashwi Yadav, who is the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, lives at 1, Polo Road.
“I have never lived in a government bungalow for the past several years. I have been living in my own house,” said Chaudhary, who served as deputy chief minister for two years before becoming the first BJP chief minister of Bihar.
He also said that he agreed to work from 1 Ann Marg, the Prime Minister’s official residence, which the current government has renamed as Lok Sevak Bhavan, only after his predecessor Nitish Kumar urged him to do so. Kumar resigned from his post as Prime Minister after moving to Rajya Sabha.
Rabri Devi Bungalow Row
The dispute began on Saturday after the government decided to reallocate the house occupied by Rabri Devi to an NDA minister, while continuing to refuse to shift to another residence.
The former prime minister had a sharp reaction when reporters asked her about the matter on Saturday. “I can see Samrat Chaudhary is very excited about becoming the Prime Minister. Let his government forcefully evict me. I will not vacate the house,” she said.
It is worth noting that she was staying in the bungalow with her husband, whom she succeeded as Prime Minister in 1997.
Over the years, the building has also served as an operations center for the opposition party.
With input from agencies
