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Party lawmakers called to Patna on Sep 18 for orientation programme, nothing ‘big’ on agenda: JD(U)
Patna, Sep 16 (PTI) The JD(U) on Wednesday said the party’s lawmakers have been called to Patna for an “orientation programme” on September 18, scotching speculations that something “big” was on the agenda.
Addressing a press conference at the party office, national spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad also denied reports of a rift with ally BJP on the Uniform Civil Code issue, and asserted that the JD(U) will take a stand “once the government shares the draft of its proposal”.
“On September 18, former chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is our national president, will inaugurate a day-long orientation programme, which will be conducted by the organisation PRS Legislative Research,” Prasad said.
“The aim of the programme is to educate our lawmakers about the process of legislation, and help them raise the issues of their constituency in a better way. This submission shall put paid to rumours that have been doing the rounds and reaffirm our reputation as a serious-minded party,” he said.
All party parliamentarians and legislators, including national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, Deputy Chief Ministers Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav, and Health Minister Nishant Kumar will be be present on the occasion, the JD(U) spokesman said.
There have been speculations in a section of the media that the JD(U), which has in the recent past switched allies a number of times, was planning something “big” again, and the party legislators were being called to Patna for a similar purpose.
Some media groups had also claimed that on Friday, the party may announce Nishant, the son of Nitish Kumar, as the new national president and ratify the proposal for the outfit being renamed “JD(U)-Nitish”.
Prasad pointed towards the statement on Tuesday of Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who had made it clear that proposal for a new name could be taken up only at the “next national executive and national council meetings” of the JD(U).
The JD(U) spokesman also said that while Nishant, the health minister who joined the party just a few months ago, was regarded as “a senior leader” of the party, “I know of no proposal, as of now, for Nitish Kumar’s replacement as the JD(U) national president”.
Replying to a query, Prasad said the JD(U)’s stand on the UCC had been declared by Chaudhary on Tuesday.
“We hold that the proposed legislation shall be studied once the draft is shared by the government. Our working president Sanjay Kumar Jha has also said he will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah if any of the provisions were found objectionable,” he said.
Asked about the demonstration staged by auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) in the state, who wanted to apprise Nishant of their problems, Prasad said: “Our health minister regularly turns up before the public for redressal of grievances. He does so at the party office, too. The agitators should come on the day his visit is scheduled here.” PTI NAC RBT
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.