Nitish attacks Centre for stopping excavation at Telhara

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today criticised the Centre for "stopping" excavation of a few historical sites in Bihar including Telhara.
"First they did not carry excavation at Telhara or Balirajgarh in Madhubani, despite being told that it could bring wealth of information about country's history. And when the state government undertook excavation work on its own, they intervened and stopped it," Kumar told reporters.
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) ordered stopping of excavation work last year at Telhara in Nalanda district, which could have "added a new page in the ancient history of the country," he said.
On the Centre's argument that the excavation was stopped at Telhara as a report was not submitted, he said "report can be submitted only after full and final work of digging."

Kumar who had himself visited the Telhara site in his native Nalanda district on many occasions out of interest, said the study indicated that the Buddhist site belonged to the first century and not of the fifth century AD as known presently.
Asked why the Centre was doing so, Kumar said "...Probably they do not want the world to know the rich history of Bihar.