Click to play videoPanjim: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has demanded an apology from the Goa government for a minister’s ‘offensive’ statement.
Home Minister Ravi Naik during a discussion in the Goa Assembly on Tuesday had allegedly said that beggars coming from Bihar on trains are causing problems in the state.
Naik tabled figures before the Goa Assembly according to which more than hundreds of beggars are prosecuted in the state annually. As many 430 beggars were prosecuted in 2006 and 395 in the year 2007.
Nitish demanded an apology from Goa Chief Minister Digambar Pathak and condemned Naik’s statement. "Coming from a person occupying the responsible post of a minister in a state the remark is deplorable and should be condemned by all. The remark should be withdrawn immediately and the minister should tender an unqualified apology to the people of Bihar," said Nitish.
"Though the minister’s unwarranted remark has not lowered our respect for the state or its people, it merits to be denounced and an apology from Naik would be in place. Biharis are not beggars, but have earned respect and status and done our state proud through sheer merit and hard work," Nitish added.
Naik issued a clarification and said his statement was not directed against any state.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
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