The relationship between BJP and JD(U) became more acrimonious on Monday when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar accused the BJP of not respecting its elders.
In an oblique reference to the BJP patriarch, lK Advani, Chief Minister told mediapersons in Patna that a new leadership has started taking the control of the BJP and party elders are not respected.
“The BJP has betrayed and cornered its elders,” he remarked.
“BJP leaders have forgotten Atal Bihari Vajpayee and lK Advani, showing scant respect to the Indian values,” Chief Minister alleged.
“On the contrary, elders are respected in the JD(U) as George Fernandes was honoured with a Rajya Sabha seat despite the fact that he contested lok Sabha election against the party nominee on the provocation of some people,” he added.
Nitish Kumar also sought to clarify that he had praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at a railway function in Gujarat in 2003 not out of any regard for him but because it was required in the official protocol.
“I was the Railway Minister in 2003 and used to go to various places of the country to participate in official functions,” he stated.
“Since nobody can speak against anybody in a Government function, I was left with no alternative other than speaking in favour of Narendra Modi,” he added.
The Chief Minister contended that no political speech is made in any Government function and hence, BJP should not attempt at “politicising” the matter.
Nitish Kumar said that JD(U) had never any alliance with BJP in Gujarat and his party romped to victory on few seats on its strength.
Reiterating that BJP is responsible for break up of the BJP-JD(U) alliance in Bihar, Nitish Kuamr said that the erstwhile Samata Party had entered into an alliance with BJP in 1996 by considering the political situation prevailing in the State at that point of time. The alliance was also made with an objective to check division of votes in elections.
Rejecting the charge of BJP that the JD(U) betrayed the people by snapping ties with BJP, Nitish Kumar said that his party was left with no alternative other than leaving the NDA as the BJP central leaders were not in a position to give any assurance that Narendra Modi will not be projected as the PM nominee for the 2014 lok Sabha election.
BJP to go to people with Bihar CM’s ‘U-turn’
One day after the break up of 17-year-old alliance between BJP and JD(U), the Bihar BJP has further tightened its belt against the State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by deciding to inform the people at the grassroot level how Kumar took a complete U-turn on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi after praising him 10 years ago.
Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi told mediapersons that the party workers will visit each village of the State, circulating copies of Nitish Kuamr’s speech in which he had praised Narendra Modi. He said that the party will also play CDs of recorded speech of Nitish Kumar to expose him before the people.
Nitish Kumar had praised Narendra Modi as a leader with a future outside Gujarat while making a speech at the inauguration of a railway project in the Kutch region of Gujarat in 2003. Nitish Kumar was the Railway Minster in the NDA Government in 2003.
The BJP leader asked Nitish Kumar to tell the people whether he had applauded Chief Ministers of other States in the same manner as he did for Narendra Modi.
The BJP leaders including Sushil Modi, State party president Mangal Pandey, and others also staged a road show in Patna to mobilise support for the party sponsored “Bihar Bandh” on June 18 when the party will also observe Biswasghat Diwas” against JD(U) for betraying and insulting the people’s mandate by snapping ties with the NDA.
It is a fact that the BJP is saddened by sudden snapping of ties bu JD(U) but the party is more remorseful of its 17-years long association with the JD(U), he added.
The BJP leader said that his party will give an alternative Government in the State and will not allow RJD chief lalu Prasad to return to the power after the JD(U) deserting the NDA.
Modi also took exception to Chief Minister’s act of sacking 11 BJP Ministers, asking whether all these Ministers were so incapable so that he was persuaded to make recommendations to the State Governor for dropping them from the State Cabinet.
Sushil Modi who maintained a very cordial relationship with Nitish Kumar during more than seven year NDA rule in the State, said that BJP Ministers had kept their resignation letters ready but the Chief Ministers opted for sacking them without giving them any chance to submit letters.
Reacting to Nitish KumarRss allegation that BJP does not respect its elders, Modi said that Nitish Kumar should tell why the JD (U) patriarch George Fernandes was sidelined in the party and was even denied to contest 2009 election when he lost control over the party due to his age.
Meanwhile, Modi has resigned from the post of Chairman of Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers and has sent his resignation letter to Union Finance Minister P Chidambram in this regard.