Remind Modi of job promise to blast victims: RJD to JD-U

Bihar opposition RJD on Friday dared ruling JD-U to remind its ally BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his "forgotten promise" of providing jobs to the families of six persons killed in serial blasts that hit his rally in Patna in 2013.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal said the Janata Dal-United should raise the issue at the centenary celebrations of Patna University on Saturday which is to be attended by Modi.

"Till May-June this year, the JD-U was raising this issue (of job promise) and demanded that Modi fulfil it," RJD spokesperson Shakti Yadav told IANS here.

"If JD-U leaders, including party President Nitish Kumar, have guts they should publicly ask the BJP and Modi about their promise."

In a reply to the RJD, JD-U leader Sanjay Singh said if Modi had promised, he would fulfil it. Senior BJP leader and Bihar Minister Vinod Narain Jha, however, denied that Modi made such a promise.

Six people were killed and more than 80 injured when half a dozen bombs exploded in Patna, most of them in and around the sprawling Gandhi Maidan where Modi, then BJP's prime ministerial candidate, later addressed a huge rally.

Most of those killed and injured were activists or supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Nearly a week after the blasts, Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister had visited the family of four of the six killed and and spoke to the family members of the other two over phone.

During his meetings and interaction, Modi reportedly promised a job to one family member, free education to children of those killed, and also handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of each of those killed.

--IANS

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