Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday hit back at his Gujarat counterpart and BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, but had to face the embarrassment of being flayed by senior leaders of his own party.
Forty-eight hours after Modi’s attack on Nitish at BJP’s Hunkar Rally at Patna, the Bihar Chief Minister took him on at the JD(U)’s two-day Chintan Shivir in Rajgir. However, even as Nitish minced no words in flaying Modi, JD(U) MP Shivanand Tiwari praised the BJP leader and Bihar’s Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh joined Tiwari in questioning Nitish’s style of functioning.
launching a tirade against Modi, Nitish said his dream of hoisting a flag at Red Fort would remain a dream. “lal Qile ka sapna, sapna hi rah jayega,” he said while addressing party workers and leaders. On Sunday, Modi had called Nitish a “rank opportunist, hypocrite and back-stabber.” Modi had also made some references about how he had welcomed Nitish in Gujarat and served him sumptuous food at a marriage ceremony in 2008. Modi also claimed that the two leaders had also lunched together with the Prime Minister in 2010.
While rebutting his claim, Nitish said he had gone to Gujarat on the invitation of a Patna High Court Chief Justice and Modi was also invited there. “We both were invited to the marriage, but Modi did not serve me food there,” Nitish said. He also said they never met at the lunch table during the Prime Minister’s visit. “See the language they are usingIJ Gujaratis are fond of ice-cream as they have a sweet tooth. I also like sweet things, but why are their words not sweetIJ” Nitish asked.
Referring to the BJP’s claim that a Modi wave was sweeping across the country, the Bihar Chief Minister said: “An associate of Hitler said that if you repeat a lie a hundred times it becomes the truth, and that is what the BJP is doing these days.”
He also sought to correct Modi’s claim at the rally that King Alexander had come up to river Ganga and Chandragupta was of the Gupta dynasty. “King Alexander had stopped at Sutlej River and Chandragupta belonged to the Maurya dynasty. He should have checked facts before making such statements in public,” Nitish said.
Responding to Modi’s description of lord Krishna as Yaduvanshi, Nitish lamented, “Krishna ko bhi jaati mein bandh diya.” Nitish said Modi used a language that tried to foment discontent in society, but “he forgets it is a country of 120 crore people and that is not acceptable in democracy.”
The Bihar Chief Minister once again reiterated his demand for special status to Bihar and said it was their right and not charity and they would continue to fight for their right. He added that special status for Bihar would be the main poll plank for his party in the upcoming Parliamentary polls. Nitish Kumar also denied the charge that there was a security lapse in the BJP’s Patna rally. “There was no security lapse on the part of the State administration and all necessary and required measures were taken on a serious note,” he emphatically said.
However, Tiwari and Narendra Singh spoiled the day for Nitish by launching an all-out attack against him. “Whatever the limitations of Narendra Modi are, but I must very frankly appreciate his struggle and rise in life. See where he began his life and where he has come today. His struggle is phenomenal,” said Shivanand Tiwari while advising Nitish Kumar not to underestimate Modi.
The JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP also advised Nitish to change his style of functioning. “Nitish to run the State and the country you should have a large heart.” Slamming the coterie surrounding Nitish, Tiwari said: “Have they any political experience or political struggleIJ Who are theyIJ Why have you allowed them to become so close to youIJ”
Similarly, Narendra Singh also took on Nitish and complained that party leaders and workers were being tortured by the bureaucracy. “You must do something otherwise we will all have to pay the price for it,” fumed Narendra Singh. Singh also said that if Nitish Kumar wanted to expel him from the party for his straight talk he was free to do so.
later, party president Sharad Yadav tried his best to play down the unsavoury remarks of the party leaders. “We had told our party leaders to feel free to speak their minds and that’s what they did,” he said.