Some trying to steal...: PM jabs Rahul over 'Jan Nayak'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday blamed the "poor state" of education during the Rashtriya Janata Dal rule as a major reason for the large-scale migration from Bihar and lauded the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government for improving the situation and setting the state on a path to progress.

Speaking at the inauguration of a host of education and skilling initiatives for the youth, including several projects for the poll-bound state, Modi took a veiled swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is often lauded by his party members as 'Jan Nayak', an honorific associated with respected OBC leader and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur.

The people of Bihar should be vigilant to attempts by some to "steal" the honour long associated with Thakur, Modi said, without naming Gandhi.

Thakur was not bestowed the title of Jan Nayak by social media trolls, but it is a reflection of people's love for him, he added.

The Modi government had honoured the late OBC leader with Bharat Ratna last year.

Praising Chief Minister Kumar, Modi said the Bihar government has taken new resolves for the state's development and has decided to double the number of people getting employment in the next five years as compared to the last 20 years.

The idea is to ensure that youngsters of Bihar are employed within the state, he said, with the issue of migration gaining in sapience during the ongoing assembly poll campaign.

The current generation of youth, he said, may not be aware of the destruction wreaked on the education system 20-25 years back, he said, targeting the RJD government.

Schools would not open and few recruitments were made, he said, adding that students were forced to leave the state for other cities. This was the real beginning of migration, he said.

It is rather difficult to restore a tree whose roots are rotting, and this was the state of Bihar during the RJD rule, he said, lauding the NDA government in the state for its work to effect a turnaround. -- PTI