The Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Sunday (May 31, 2026) furnished another official letter of the Building Construction Department (BCD) allotting Minister Nandkishor Ram 10, Circular Road bungalow as official residence, the same bungalow that is presently occupied by former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Council Rabri Devi.
Ms. Devi, on Saturday (May 30), refused to vacate the building despite the BCD serving her a second notice and challenged the Samrat Choudhary government to evict her from the bungalow. According to sources, the government has given Ms. Devi an ultimatum to vacate the house within 15 days.
The RJD had pointed out that Mr. Ram had initially been allotted 21, Harding Road residence, as per a letter by the BCD on May 11. However, 15 days later, on May 27, another letter was issued, assigning the Circular Road house to him. The party questioned why the Minister had not moved into the house allotted to him on May 11. It also said that the Minister should ask the government why his residence was being changed so many times.
Mr. Ram, speaking to the press on Saturday (May 30) night, alleged that Ms. Devi was not vacating the bungalow because he hailed from the Dalit community.
“I feel that Rabri Devi ji gave the statement that she will not vacate the bungalow because I am Dalit. That is the only reason; there is no other reason. My being a Dalit seems like a curse,” said the BJP leader who represented the Ramnagar Assembly reserved seat.
Sharing the letter from the BCD, RJD spokesperson Ejaz Ahmed alleged that the BJP compelled him to issue such a statement. “The Minister issued such a statement at the behest of the government, solely to set a political narrative. The statement was issued with malicious intentions.”
“The NDA [National Democratic Alliance] government in Bihar have now been exposed; it has become clear that the people in power are humiliating a Minister belonging to the Dalit community. The Minister should clarify his stance, as his statements were a deliberate attempt to manipulate the political narrative,” Mr. Ahmed said.
Another RJD spokesperson, Chittaranjan Gagan, asked the logic behind allotting two separate bungalows to father and son, quoting the example of former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has been allotted 7 Circular Road and his son, Nishant Kumar, who has been allotted 2 Deshratna Marg.
Ms. Devi’s daughter Rohini Acharya also jumped in on the debate with a post on X in which she dared the Bihar Chief Minister to remove her mother from the bungalow.
“If you have the guts, then force the government to vacate Bangalow forcibly. To divert attention from the public issues, Samrat Chaudhary’s government is on the path of political vendetta. The decision to evict former Chief Minister Rabri Devi ji from her residence and send police to the house is not democracy; it is a sign of the arrogance of power and unjust intimidation,” Ms. Acharya said in the post.
She further claimed that the Bihar government had proven inactive on the issue of unemployment, inflation, corruption, and rising crime but active in targeting Opposition leaders.
Published - May 31, 2026 09:02 pm IST
politics / government / ministers (government) / politics (general)
Source: The Hindu - India News
