Nityanand Rai on Saturday strongly rejected claims circulating on social media that the central government is planning to create a new Union Territory by merging districts from Bihar and West Bengal.
In a post on the microblogging platform X, Rai said the rumours were completely baseless and urged people not to believe such statements.
He also dismissed claims made by independent MP Rajesh Ranjan, saying they should not be taken seriously.
“It is totally contrary to facts that there is any plan to carve some districts out of Bihar and West Bengal to form a Union Territory. Nobody should take the tweet of Pappu Yadav seriously,” Rai wrote.
Pappu Yadav’s Claim Triggers Political Row
The controversy began after Pappu Yadav alleged that the BJP was planning to create a Union Territory by combining Bihar’s Seemanchal region with some districts of West Bengal.
According to his claim, the proposed territory could include Muslim-dominated districts such as Malda, Murshidabad and Uttar Dinajpur along with parts of Bihar.
Yadav suggested that recent political developments were part of a larger strategy by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“The BJP is playing the game of creating a Union Territory,” Yadav said in his social media post.
Nitish Kumar’s Rajya Sabha Move Linked to Speculation
The speculation gained traction after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recently filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections.
Kumar submitted his nomination in the presence of Amit Shah and senior leaders from the BJP and the Janata Dal (United).
After filing the nomination, Nitish Kumar said it had always been his ambition to serve as a member of both Houses of Parliament and both Houses of the Bihar legislature during his political career.
He thanked the people of Bihar for their continued support over the past two decades, saying their trust had helped the state move towards development and dignity.
New Bihar Governor Appointed
Another development that fuelled speculation was the appointment of a new governor for Bihar.
Former Indian Army officer Syed Ata Hasnain has been named the new Governor of Bihar.
He will replace Arif Mohammed Khan, who had taken oath in the role earlier.
However, the Union government has firmly dismissed any suggestion that these developments are linked to a plan to restructure territories in eastern India.
With the Centre denying the rumours, the issue is likely to remain a subject of political debate in Bihar and West Bengal in the coming days.
