Not Invited To Attend Patna Varsity's Event Because Of My Difference With Modi: Shatrughan Sinha

Shatrughan Sinha has claimed that he was not invited to attend the 100 years' celebration of Patna University, his alma mater, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address students, and this has not gone down well with the actor-turned-BJP MP from Bihar.   

Sinha told ndtv.com that he has been excluded from the major event in his constituency because of his difference of opinions with the PM, “who will headline the occasion”, and describing it "enough is enough."

The ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, will be led by the PM who will be accompanied by chief minister Nitish Kumar. The district and the university administration have stepped up efforts by limiting students for a swift event.

"They (Lalu Prasad and Yashwant Sinha) were not even invited because they are critical (of the PM)," Sinha said, adding: "Every time I am told by party seniors not to go public and (then) they turn a blind eye to an insult like this," he told the website.

Sinha also said the university is not only in his parliamentary constituency, he has also studied at its Science College. According to him, it’s an insult.

Interestingly, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) and Patna University have asked their students to compulsorily furnish their Aadhar numbers to attend Modi's event.

The move is directed by the district administrations. Post-graduation students and the doctoral research fellows, who want to attend the October 14 event, were asked to fill an online form available at the varsity's website that clearly stated "have to upload the scan (sic) copy of their Aadhaar card and identity card".

In a series of tweets on Thursday, Sinha said: “On behalf of people of Bihar & especially Patna, I welcome PM Narendra Modi to my home turf & parliamentary constituency. It's a privilege....& honor to host PM Modi as Chief Guest of the otherwise tame centenary celebrations of the once famous Patna University on October 14.”

In one of the of the tweets, Sinha said: “The excited young generation is hopeful that the hon'ble PM will provide a road map for restoration of the lost glory of Patna University...once hailed as the "Oxford of the East", & help re-equip it with world class facilities & academic curriculum so that it flourishes…”

The veteran actor-turned politician had recently backed Yashwant Sinha, who in a damning column slammed both Modi and finance minister Arun Jaitley on the economic "mess", and said the former Union minister is a "true statesman" who has both the party's as well as the national interest in mind.