In Bihar, Rahul takes on Raj: who fought for NSG on 26/11?

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi launched his Mission Bihar today by declaring that Biharis were in several ways "running the country", and reminding the Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray that the battle for Mumbai on 26/11 was fought and won by commandos from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

"MNS leader Raj Thackeray keeps talking about driving out people of Bihar and UP from Mumbai. But I want to ask who the NSG commandos were. Most of them were from Bihar, UP and other parts of the country," Rahul told Youth Congress workers at Kalchakra Maidan in Bodhgaya.

Rahul wondered why the Thackerays hadn't spoken of forcing out Biharis from Mumbai when they were fighting the terrorists who had attacked the city. "When people from all corners of the country can stand up to save Mumbai, they have every right over the city," he said.

There wasn't a problem with the attitude of the people of Bihar, Rahul said, and it was time others changed their attitude towards Biharis. Earlier, interacting with students of LN Mishra University at Darbhanga, he said: "Most senior IAS and IPS officers come from UP and Bihar. In a way, Biharis are running the country, but I wonder why Bihar is not running."

Rahul called upon the youth to lead the change in Bihar, and asked Youth Congress workers to choose their own leaders. "Get your leaders through organizational elections, we will not impose leaders on you," he said.

The Congress leader is on a two-day trip to interact with Youth Congress workers during its ongoing membership drive before the organisational elections. He started his journey from Bhitiharwa in West Champaran, the place where Mahatma Gandhi launched his first satyagraha in 1918, and reached Patna in the evening after visiting Darbhanga and Gaya.

Rahul took on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, rejecting his claims that the Centre was not sending adequate funds to Bihar. "The opposite is true," Rahul said. "Bihar has not been able to use Central funds. The Centre can only send Bihar money, but it has to be implemented by the Bihar government."