Patna, March 22 Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday, congratulating him and the people of the state on "Bihar Diwas", the day when the province, which was previously part of the Bengal Presidency, came into being over a century ago.
Kumar, the longest-serving Chief Minister of the state, shared a screenshot of the three-page letter from Modi on his social media handles.
The Prime Minister praised the president of the JD(U), an alliance partner of the ruling BJP at the Centre, for having demonstrated a "personal commitment towards the welfare of all sections of society".
"Under your leadership, Bihar has witnessed a huge transformation," said the PM, adding, "I feel proud that my government got the opportunity to help speed up the state's progress".
Modi began his letter with greetings to the CM and "my brothers and sisters" across the state on Bihar Diwas, and dwelt at length on the rich history of the land, mentioning the "moral and spiritual values" embodied by the Buddha and "diplomacy and statecraft under Chandragupta Maurya, the disciple of Chanakya, a legacy which continues to guide India".
Modi also spoke of the Champaran Satyagraha launched by Mahatma Gandhi and luminaries like Sachchidanand Sinha, who headed the Constituent Assembly, Rajendra Prasad, the first President of Independent India, and Jagjivan Ram, a Dalit leader who went on to become the Deputy Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister also made a mention of the key role played by Jayaprakash Narayan's movement in Bihar, which had set the tone for the struggle against the infamous emergency.
"Some time ago, the NDA government got the opportunity to confer Bharat Ratna upon Karpoori Thakur, a move that has been lauded by all," added the Prime Minister.