In a rare event Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and his predecessor Nitish Kumar shared dais on Saturday to mark the birth anniversary of veteran Socialist leader Karpoori Thakur that too at a time when power struggle in the ruling JD(U) has intensified. Manjhi however, said there was no difference between them and blamed some vested interest for propagating cold war in the party.
Nitish in his speech lashed out at the BJP and its president Amit Shah who had said on Friday that JD(U) leader severed ties with the BJP to pursue his personal ambition to become Prime Minister. “I have made it clear time and again that I had no such ambition. But even if I had it was not a crime. Neither I had any ambition earlier nor I do have now,” he said.
The former CM who spoke at a public meeting after a long time, referred to the communal riot in Muzaffarpur’s Azizpur Village and said, “I visited the villages yesterday and I smell a deep rooted conspiracy there.” Indirectly blaming the BJP for the Sunday violence in which five people were killed, he said the elements are out to create social tension and hatred with their poisonous agenda and want to divide the society to meet their political ends. “If the rioters are hidden in pataal, the Government should drag them out and punish,” the JD(U) said and added that local people in both Azizpur and Bahilwara villages told him that never before they saw so many vehicles which ferried people that day. He said it is the duty of the administration to find out who those people were and also why the police took so much time in reaching the troubled place.
“If we have to sacrifice our lives to save the humanity we should be prepared for that. The communal elements are hatching conspiracies to demolish the peace and brotherhood for their political gains. We should remain united to frustrate their ugly designs,” Nitish said.
Nitish in his address was also critical of some of his party leaders including Ministers, MPs and legislators who are supposed to be in touch with the BJP and warned them of their ‘bleak future’. JD(U) president Sharad Yadav also mounted attack on Amit Shah and said in bid to evade real issues, the party was raking up communal issues to divert attention. Several JD(U) leaders including CM Manjhi and State party chief Bashistha Narain Singh called on Yadav separately to apprise him about the ongoing tussle in the party.