Patna: A Bihar lawmaker who discarded his attire and had been reporting for work while partially nude for the past four months, to demand the construction of a road in his constituency, finally put his clothes back on after a promise from deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav.
For the past five days since the budget session of the state legislature began on Thursday, Vinay Bihari, a singer-turned-politician, had been attending the session in a vest and half-pants, much to the discomfort of the state government.
On Monday, the deputy chief minister called him in his official chamber at the Bihar assembly and offered him kurta-pyjama and coat, promising to fulfill his demands. The lawmaker was only too quick to oblige the deputy CM.
“It’s the victory of the common men. We thank all of them who stood with me,” the lawmaker declared.
Since October Bihari, who represents Lauria seat (under West Champaran district) in Bihar assembly, had been moving around in his constituency partly nude, discarding his usual outfit.
He said he was angry over the government’s failure to constrict a 44km-long road in his constituency and eventually stripped half-naked in protest.
While he sent his kurta (loose shirt) tofederal surface transport minister Nitin Gadkari, his ‘pyjama’ (trouser) was dispatched to Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi who also holds the road construction department portfolio.
He said he would remain half-naked until the said road was constructed, but relented on Monday.
According to Bihari, he staged many sit-ins and resorted to various forms of protest but nothing worked, forcing him to go half-naked.
“If I succeed in my endeavour, it will confirm that Gandhi and his philosophy are still relevant in India,” was how he had said while discarding his clothes.
