The chief minister, who has long cultivated a secular image, has ruled Bihar for two decades in alliance with the BJP, except for two stints when he partnered with the RJD and other allies as part of the grand alliance.Despite his BJP ties, Nitish has launched several welfare schemes for the minority community, including building boundary walls around graveyards, which helped him secure support from sections of Muslims.During his speech, Nitish drew a contrast with the earlier RJD regime, saying: “No work was done for Muslim community before 2005.”This is not the first time Nitish has drawn attention with such gestures. On earlier occasions, he has avoided someone garlanding him by taking the garland and putting it back on the person.In 2013, he said: “To govern a country like India, you have to take everyone along; sometimes you will have to wear ‘topi’ and sometimes ‘tilak’ (kabhi topi bhi pehenni padhegi, kabhi tilak bhi lagana padega).”Earlier in the day, a group of madarsa teachers protested outside the venue, alleging they had not received salaries for months. They accused the state government of ignoring the poor condition of madarsas across the state. Tension escalated after Nitish’s address, as teachers waved pamphlets and demanded action on salaries and pending commitments.
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