Shatrughan Sinha, Lalu yadav, Yashwant Sinha not invited to Patna University centenary event

PATNA: BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha today expressed dismay over not being invited to the centenary celebrations of Patna University on Saturday in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be the chief guest.

The actor-turned-politician, an alumni of Patna University that falls under his parliamentary constituency, said he does not figure in the guest list for the occasion.

"I am very emotionally attached to my alma mater. I am pained over being denied invitation on such an occasion," Shatrughan Sinha told .

He claimed BJP leader Yashwant Sinha and RJD president Lalu Prasad, former students of the university, were also not invited to the programme.

University authorities, however, said they were not yet invited because of a delay in printing invitation cards and they are in the guest list.

Shatrughan Sinha, who has in the past put his party in embarrassing situations due to his comments on various issues, said his "elder brother Yashwant Sinha and RJD president Lalu Prasad" were also not in the guest list despite being prominent students of PU.

"I spoke to the two and they also expressed shock over not being invited to the function on October 14 at Patna," Shatrughan Sinha, popularly known as "Bihari Babu", said.

Asked if he has been deliberately left out of the PM's programme due to his comments contrary to the party line, Shatrughan Sinha said, "Quite possible."

Governor Satya Pal Malik, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad would share dais with the PM on that day.

"Recently, Vice Chancellor of Patna University Rash Bihari Singh had come to meet me with Yashwant Sinha in Delhi and sought my guidance for successful organisation of the centenary celebrations of Patna University," Shatrughan Sinha said.

The BJP leader, who has been assisting colleges of Patna University out of his MP Development Fund, said "I hope the PM would be told about the problems of PU like shortage of teachers, lack of fund among others so that he can render help to get rid of these."

Vice Chancellor Singh said, "Printing of invitation cards got delayed and that's why cards have not been sent to them. But, they are very much in our guest list."

"We are going to organise a mega event as part of PU centenary celebrations on December 10 in which all former students of the university would be invited," he said.