Nitish draws flak for ''appreciating'' British officers

Patna, Apr 30 (UNI) The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) today slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for ''appreciating'' the working style of civil officers during the British rule.

Chief spokesman of state Congress Prem Chandra Mishra said here it was ironical that Mr Kumar was impressed with the style of functioning of civil officers in the British raj who afflicted all sorts of atrocities against the common men. He said it was an ''affront'' to the thousands of freedom fighters who laid down their lives to unshackle the India from colonial rule.

'' Mr Kumar should apologise for hurting the sentiments of Indian by appreciating the functioning of British officers during the colonial rule,'' he added.

State president of Nationalist Congress Party Aquil Haidar castigated Mr Kumar for his statement on functioning of British officers and demanded an unqualified apology.

Earlier, during a meeting with district magistrates and divisional commissioners yesterday in Patna, Mr Kumar had exhorted them to emulate the functioning of civil officers of erstwhlie British rule, adding they were upright in executing the government sponsored schemes.

UNI