Modi In Bihar: PM To Inaugurate Nalanda University New Campus Day After Varanasi Visit

PM Modi's visit comes after Bihar JDU MP Devesh Thakur stirred up a political row with his remarks on the Yadav and Muslim communities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Source : PTI

PM Modi In Bihar: A day after his visit to Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Bihar on Wednesday. During his visit the Prime Minister will inaugurate the new campus of Nalanda University at Rajgir, Bihar. Several eminent people, including the Head of Missions of 17 Countries will be present during the inauguration ceremony.

According to a statement released by the PMO, the University is conceived as a joint collaboration between India and East Asia Summit(EAS) countries. The inauguration ceremony will be attended by several eminent people including the Head of Missions of 17 Countries.

The Campus has two Academic Blocks with 40 Classrooms having a total seating capacity of around 1900. It has two auditoriums having a capacity of 300 seats each, the statement read. It has a student hostel with a capacity of around 550 students. It also has various other facilities including International Centre, Amphitheatre that can accommodate up to 2000 individuals, Faculty Club and Sports Complex among others, it further stated.

The University has a deep connection with history. The original Nalanda University, established around 1600 years ago, is considered to be amongst the first residential universities of the world. In 2016, the ruins of Nalanda was declared as a UN Heritage Site. The campus has two academic blocks with 40 classrooms having a total seating capacity of around 1900.

PM Modi's visit comes after Bihar JDU MP Devesh Thakur stirred up a political row with his remarks on the Yadav and Muslim communities in his constituency — Sitamarhi. JDU is BJP's partner in the NDA.

Thakur, who recently won the Sitamarhi Lok Sabha seat, said he was disappointed over the fact that he didn't receive votes from Muslims and Yadavs, groups that are traditionally aligned with Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD, and that he would not help them. A video of this went viral. He said that issues of Yadavs and Muslims would take a backseat now. However, he assured respectful treatment to individuals from the communities if approached personally.

"I have made it clear that Yadavs and Muslims must not expect me to be of any help to them," Thakur stated, recounting a conversation with a Muslim visitor who, he claimed, regretted not supporting him due to his party's BJP affiliation.