Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed three election meetings in the regions going to vote on November 5, launched a counter attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD boss lalu Prasad on the reservation issue and said the two leaders had advocated the review of the reservation policy.
Modi’s charge came in the backdrop of the Mahagathbandhan making a strong case against NDA in the light of the observations of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
The PM said, “On July 23-24, 2005, both lalu ji and Nitish babu shared a common platform and had demanded review and changes in the reservation policy.” He said this had been reported by the local newspapers and could be verified by anyone. “When they are caught red-handed, they are hurling false allegations on me,” he added.
Modi also made reference of the speech of Nitish Kumar in lok Sabha favouring reservation to a religious minority. “When I referred to that speech they say I am digging out a 10 years old statement. But why lalu ji is showing a 70 years old book on reservation issueIJ” he said.
He was referring to Guru Golwalkar’s book ‘Bunch of Thoughts’ which is shown by lalu in his election speeches saying that RSS founder had written against reservation to Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Castes.
However, Modi did not refer to Bhagwat’s views on reservation which he expressed in an interview and again publicly reiterating his stand in Gorakhpur recently.
“They(Mahagathbandhan) have no election issue and only raking up reservation issue which is totally false. No political party in this country has power and courage to take back the facilities granted in the constitution by Baba Saheb Ambedkar,” the PM said.
Warning Nitish and lalu, he said, “As much mud you sling at me, as many lotus will bloom. From the stone you are throwing at me, I will make staircase with them to take Bihar to new heights.”
In a jibe at Nitish after his video with a ‘tantrik’ went viral on social media, Modi alleged at another poll rally in Madhubani that the Bihar Chief Minister was taking recourse to “black magic as he does not believe in democracy”.
“Bihar has suffered the brunt of ‘Jungle Raj’...’Jungle Raj’ now has a twin brother in ‘jantar-mantar’. Don’t let ‘Jungle Raj’ and ‘jantar-mantar’ come together, otherwise this combination will only spell doom for Bihar and its people,” he said.
Attacking the alliance of RJD, JD(U) and Congress, he said Sonia Gandhi’s party ruled Bihar for 35 years and its misrule made public so furious that the party has not been able to return to power for 25 years. For ten years, he said, lalu’s party could not come back to power and now the public would drive out Nitish for ever. “This is Bihar. Once they show anyone ‘bahar ka rasta’ (exit door) he never comes back. Biharis have decided to punish who destroyed Bihar,” he said and asked the people to severe ties with those who broke promises and ditched them.
The PM said in the last 25 years no sector and section of society was benefitted and only the courtiers of lalu and Nitish reaped the benefit. “They abuse Modi a hundred times every day but don’t give account of their works,” the PM said and asked, “Will they get the votes by abusing meIJ”
Modi reiterated his stand for the development of Bihar by repeating the bijli, sadak, pani for the State and padhai (education), kamai (job) and dawai (medi care) for each Bihari.