BJP, RSS using Lord Rama's name for poll dividends: Nitish

Charging BJP and RSS with using Lord Rama's name as a political tool for electoral dividends, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today dared the Sangh Parivar to announce the date for construction of a grand Ram Temple at Ayodhya if it was serious about it.
"Neither BJP nor RSS have faith in Lord Rama and they only want to use (the name of) the diety as a political tool from time to time for electoral benefits which is not acceptable to the people any longer," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function held as part of the 125th birth anniversary year celebrations of B R Ambedkar.

Kumar accused the Sangh Parivar of stoking religious sentiments of the people as part of its 'political line' so that the Ram Temple issue should remain alive for political benefits.
In the present case, the temple issue has been raked up as the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls are close by, the Chief Minister said.
Slamming BJP and RSS for its slogan 'Ram Lala Hum Aayenge, Mandir Wahin Banayenge' with his own punchline 'tarikh nahin batayenge', he said now that the people were demanding announcement of the date for the temple construction, BJP and RSS should come up with the specific date from when it will start at Ayodhya.

The Chief Minister said BJP and RSS were raking up the temple issue from time to time when everybody knew that the construction can take place only on the basis of court order or mutual agreeement between contending parties.

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"Due to bicycle yojna, enrolment of girls in class IX has increased from 1.7 lakh in 2005 to 8.5 lakh today," the Bihar Chief Minister said.
"The bicycle yojna has been considered as the most effective tool to boost education in backward regions world over," he said.
Kumar said that after strengthening educational system in Bihar now the priority before his government was how to provide quality education.

Mathematician Anand Kumar recounted his days of struggle when he had to face many adversities due to poor background.
"My mother and brother stood with me when I refused to join a lower-level job in postal department after the death of my father and continued studies," he said.
'Super 30' has a rare distinction of helping more than 330 students of humble background crack IITs since its inception in 2002.
The book "Super 30 - changing the world of 30 students at a time" was penned by Canada-based Biju Mathew who is a consultant psychiatrist and an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, and a Bihar scribe Arun Kumar.

The 236-page book is published in English by 'Penguin' and in Hindi by 'Prabhat Prakashan'.