Gujarat energy minister Saurabh Patel invites Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to Statue of Unity

Energy minister Saurabh Patel today met Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, and invited him to visit the Statue of Unity, which is slated to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31. The minister was slated to visit Bihar last week to extend invitation to the Bihar CM, but the visit was apparently put off. Patel had said at the time that the decision to postpone the visit was taken in view of Durga Puja, and denied reports that Nitish Kumar had cancelled the time granted to the delegation in view of exodus of migrants from the state.

Patel, who was accompanied by MP Poonam Madam, four MLAs and senior officials, also met Bihar governor Lalji Tandon and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, and invited them to visit the Statue of Unity. Ministers and bureaucrats have been visiting different states to invite CMs and other dignitaries to the Statue. The original plan was to invite everyone on October 31.