Samrat Choudhary and Rabri Devi
NEW DELHI: Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi on Saturday challenged chief minister Samrat Choudhary to remove her from the government bungalow she has occupied for more than a decade, saying she would not vacate the premises voluntarily.The RJD leader reacted sharply when reporters questioned her about a recent order issued by the state’s building construction department allotting the 10, Circular Road residence in Patna to Dairy and Fisheries Minister Nand Kishor Ram.”Yes, I can see that Samrat Choudhary, who has become the chief minister only recently, is quite excited. Let him get me evicted by force. I am not going to vacate the premises”, said the indignant wife of RJD president Lalu Prasad.Rabri Devi was speaking to journalists at Patna airport after returning from Delhi, where she had travelled to celebrate her grandson’s birthday. Her husband, Lalu Prasad, is understood to have left for Singapore for medical treatment.The former chief minister, who often points out that Choudhary began his political career as a minister in her government, addressed the media from inside her vehicle and appeared visibly upset during the exchange. The bungalow at 10, Circular Road, located close to both Raj Bhavan and the chief minister’s residence, was allotted to the family during a previous Nitish Kumar-led government. Over the years, it has served not only as the residence of the RJD’s first family but also as an important political hub for the opposition party.Several months ago, before Choudhary assumed office as Bihar’s first BJP chief minister, the building construction department issued an order stating that the residence would henceforth be reserved for a deputy chief minister. Rabri Devi, who currently serves as the leader of the opposition in the legislative council, was asked to move to an alternative government residence on Hardinge Road.Despite the directive, she has continued to stay at the Circular Road bungalow along with Lalu Prasad, whom she succeeded as chief minister in 1997.Her remarks are likely to intensify the dispute over the government accommodation, which has remained a politically sensitive issue since the change in allotment policy.
