Nitish encourage thali beating before state bandh

The protest is to demand for special status for Bihar

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Monday urged people to participate in 'thali' beating March 1 in support of the state shutdown the following day to protest denial of special category status to Bihar.

"I appeal people to join thali beating Saturday evening to express their protest and anger - the noise should reach Delhi and Bihar's genuine demand for special status should not be ignored," Nitish Kumar said.

He said the Janata Dal-United will soon announce a schedule for thali beating. Thali is a traditional metallic plate from which people eat their meals.

JD-U state president Vashisht Narain Singh said the act symbolises support of all people across the state.

Last week, Nitish Kumar called for a state wide shutdown in Bihar March 2.

"I appeal to all the people of Bihar to support the day-long bandh March 2 to protest the injustice done to Bihar," he said.

The JD-U leader accused the central government of deliberately denying the special status to Bihar.

He wanted to know why Bihar was being discriminated if Seemandhara -- the residual state of Andhra Pradesh -- could get special category status within days of parliamentary turmoil over Telangana.

He said the special status was necessary to develop an economically backward state like Bihar.

Nitish Kumar said the process to grant the status appeared to have got derailed under the influence of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, which is determined to oust the JD-U.