Patna, (Bihar Times): The Lt Governor of Delhi, Tajendra Khanna, on Monday withdrew his order making it mandatory for all the citizens to carry election photo identity card from January 15 a day after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar wrote a four-page hard hitting letter to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh.

Incidentally, Lt Governor’s move was even opposed by the Delhi chief minister, Shiela Dixit, her son and host of other leaders cutting across the party lines. Shiela went on to say that she was not even consulted by Khanna on the issue.

Earlier, Nitish saw a conspiracy to turn Delhi into a police state and said that the order amounts to the direct interference in the personal liberty of the citizens. He said that nobody should be allowed to trample on citizens’ rights and reminded the Prime Minister of constitutional scheme that does not put barriers on the free movement of Indians.

pix: Manish Sinha

Tajendra’s backtracking on the issue can be interpreted as a victory of all those––especially the leaders from Bihar––who took a strong exception to the order. People of Bihar accounts for about one-fourth of Delhi’s population and in several assembly constituencies they had a considerable say. Last year too chief minister Shiela Dixit had to apologize and take back her statement on the people of Bihar after the Rashtriya Janatas Dal MP, Ram Kripal Yadav, threatened to launch a stir against her.