Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, October 26
For more than 10 days, officers had put cover, but Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday belied the claims of officials of his government who had said he was unhurt in the steamer which had collided with a river overbridge pillar on October 15.
Nitish on Wednesday showed injuries on his stomach and his legs to the media persons and claimed he had suffered injuries on October 15 during inspection of the different ghats for Chhath festival by the Indian Inland Waterways Authority steamer. The Chief Minister showed bandages on his stomach and his legs and said he was still not fit to occupy the front seat on the vehicles due to injuries on the leg.
He was advised total rest by doctors for two days after he had received wounds on October 15. However, the state public relations department in a press release had claimed that the steamer in which the Chief Minister was travelling developed technical problem midstream Ganga near Gandhi Ghat. But there was no damage, it claimed.
However, today Nitish Kumar proved his officers wrong and admitted he had received injuries when the steamer collided with a pillar on Ganga bridge and he was incapacitated for two days. He preferred to visit the different banks on the Ganga today on a car and not steamer as done in the previous years.
Nitish told media persons, “I am a hard worker and doing official business even since October 15 when I was injured. He had been visiting the banks of Ganga river during the Chhath festivals to supervise preparations for the devotees of Chhath festival.”
For the last ten days, officers had been attempting to cover up the steamer collision with pillar and CM getting injured. Official press release had claimed there was minor disruption in the movement of the steamer on October 15. The Chief Minister himself showed the wounded parts of his stomach and said during the steamer collision with the pillar, he had received serious wounds and doctors advised him to keep the wounded part covered and ensure no further damage, hence he decided to inspect the Ganga banks in his official vehicle avoiding steamer.
Today also, his vehicle got stranded while climbing up on the Ganga JP Bridge. His car started sliding down, when security personnel rushed and prevented vehicle’s downward movement.
Finance Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhury and senior officers were also present during Chief Minister inspection of Ganga ghats.
