Attacking Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for “standing” with those facing corruption charges and for fearing a “political eclipse”, the BJP on Wednesday asserted that his “political farce” will not succeed as the country has moved "far ahead" under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Jinki rajnaitik dukan khatre main hai wo Rahul ke saath khade hain,” said senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in reference to Nitish Kumar’s meeting with the Congress leader this week.
Addressing a press conference here, Prasad said Kumar is now standing with those accused of grave corruption charges in a reference to allegations against leaders of opposition parties including the Aam Aadmi Party , Trinamool Congress and the Congress.
He gave instances of “liquor scandal” , allegations of corruption in National Herald case and discovery of wads of currency notes in West Bengal.
Charging the Congress of pulling down the coalition governments of Chandra Shekhar , Deve Gowda and I K Gujral on “flimsy grounds”, the BJP leader said “the country has moved far ahead in times under the leadership of Prime Minister Narandra Modi with people wanting a stable government”.
Leaving behind the United Kingdom, India has become the 5th largest economy in the world, he said.
Kumar has been meeting opposition leaders since arriving here on September 5, claiming that a united non-BJP formation can oust the ruling party from power in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the BJP may even be reduced to a mere 50 seats in the Lok Sabha.
On Kumar’s projection as the Prime Ministerial candidate by the opposition, Prasad wondered if the likes of Mamata Banerjee, K Chandrasekhar Rao and Arvind Kejriwal- CMs of West Bengal , Telangana, Delhi respectively- will relinquish their claim to the top post."He is the last one in the queue," Prasad said. “ Ekta ka jo swang aap rachh rahain hein , desh uska viswas nahin karega,” Prasad further said deriding the Bihar Chief Minister.
Prasad also ridiculed Kumar's claim that a united opposition can reduce the BJP to a 50-seat tally in Lok Sabha and said he cannot object to someone daydreaming.
He termed the Congress's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' as "hollow" and claimed that it was essentially a "family-saving campaign" to keep control of Gandhis over the party and was another attempt to establish Rahul Gandhi as a leader.
Prasad said Rahul could not unify his own party as he took a swipe at the opposition party, saying there is a regular "court chorus" for him to become the party president again while he is often abroad.
"Essentially, it is a family-saving campaign. The family's and the party's political expanse has been shrinking while they face corruption charges.
This is not about unifying the country but trying to establish him (Rahul) again as a leader. I would like to know how many times he will be launched and relaunched?" Prasad said.
The BJP leader also alleged that Rahul had in the past "worked to weaken the country's unity" by seeking evidence of the Indian armed forces' action on terror camps inside Pakistan and questioned the government's various moves, including the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.