PATNA: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Friday defended his new government’s decision to provide Z-plus security cover to the new deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, while rejecting the criticism by his ex-deputy CM and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.
“Why will anyone raise an objection over the security cover to Tejashwi? He is the deputy CM. He required a certain level of security. Why should he not get the Z-plus security cover?" Nitish said responding to a question as to the BJP leaders who were raising objections over the security cover to the new deputy CM.
Reacting to the new government’s decision to provide Z-plus security cover for Yadav, Sushil Modi had on Thursday said, “I remained the deputy CM for 12 years. But the state government never felt it necessary to provide either a bulletproof car or Z-plus security to me. Amidst nominal security cover, I served the public for a long time from the government residence at Polo Road.”
When asked Sushil Modi was raising question over Tejashwi’s enhanced security cover, Nitish said, “They (BJP leaders) used to speak aanap-shanap (useless talks).”
Responding to a query on cabinet expansion, Nitish said it would be done as early as possible.
“Allies are talking with their leaders within the parties. It will be done after August 15,” he said.
On being asked whether the cabinet expansion takes place on August 16, a day after Independence Day, Nitish asked laughingly, “What if it happens earlier than August 15?”
When questioned about the electoral promise of 10 lakh government jobs that Tejashwi, then in the opposition, had made during the 2020 assembly polls, Nitish said, “We will definitely try to fulfil that promise to the best of our ability.”
