Pranab curtails Bihar visit by a day

His earlier program clashed with Narendra Modi's rally in Patna

President Pranab Mukherjee today decided to curtail his Bihar visit by a day as his earlier program clashed with BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's rally in Patna.

Mukherjee told BJP MPs from Bihar, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Shahnawaz Hussain, about his rescheduled visit to the state after the two met him here.

"The President told us that he will visit Bihar on October 26 to attend a convocation, but will return back to Delhi the same day," Hussain said.

Rudy said, "We felt concerned that the earlier scheduled hunkar rally of Narendra Modi in Patna on October 27 may cause inconvenience to the President. The President informed us that he will be in Patna on October 26 only for two hours. We are profoundly grateful to the President and will welcome him in Patna."

Modi will address BJP's hunkar rally in Patna on October 27. The clash between the President's visit and Modi's rally had become an issue between BJP and its former ally JD(U).

BJP had alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had deliberately invited the President on October 27 as well to scuttle the party rally.

"BJP leaders will be there in Patna on October 26 to welcome President Pranab Mukherjee. It is an honour for Bihar to welcome the President on one day and the future Prime Minister of India the next day," Hussain said.

BJP's Bihar unit had accuse the Chief Minister of misleading the people on finalising the date of the presidential visit to Bihar.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi had said that the party had finalised the date of the rally way back on March 20 and Kumar was fully aware of it.

He had alleged that the Chief Minister was duty-bound to apprise the President of the scheduled political event during his visit.