BJP accuses Nitish Kumar of insulting people’s mandate
PATNA/ NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of “insulting and betraying” people’s mandate while blaming his prime ministerial ambition for the JD(U)’s decision to walk out of the NDA and joining hands with the RJD-led opposition.
BJP leaders noted that he had snapped ties with the RJD in 2017 over allegations of corruption against its leader Tejashwi Yadav and asked how he will justify the alliance with the party again.
They also threw the jibe “Paltu Ram” (one who keeps changing sides), first used by Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav for Kumar, at the Janata Dal (United) leader and rejected claims that their party was undermining him. RCP Singh, once a close aide of Kumar and now out of favour, also accused the chief minister of betraying the mandate of the 2020 assembly polls in the favour of the BJPled NDA.
BJP leader Union minister Giriraj Singh said the BJP had acknowledged him as a chief ministerial candidate first in 1996 when it was a much bigger party.
The BJP accepted him as chief minister again after the 2020 assembly polls even though its tally was bigger than the JD(U)’s, several BJP leaders noted. He is making all kinds of excuses about his so-called problems with the BJP, Singh said, adding that as the chief minister Kumar had no reason to be upset.
State BJP president Sanjay
Jaiswal accused the chief minister of “betraying” the mandate of the 2020 assembly polls for which he will be “punished” by the people of Bihar. He has betrayed the BJP as well, he told reporters in Patna.
Former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said if the BJP was troubling the JD(U), as claimed by the regional party, then Kumar should have spoken about this in 2020. He got votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is insulting people’s mandate to enjoy power, he added.
“He used to talk about corruption. Has it ended now,” he asked.
BJP leaders threw the jibe “Paltu Ram,” first used by Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav for Kumar, at the JD(U) leader