JD(U) rejects talk of allying with BJP

Thejd(u)onwednesdayrejected outrightallspeculationaboutareunion with the BJP and went hammerandtongsatitsone-time ally, saying such a question does not arise as “the ethos of the Atal era in BJP have come to an end”.

On Monday, the Supreme Court decided to restore criminal charges against RJD chief Lalu Prasad in the fodder scam. Amid speculation in some sections that the development could lead to a political realignment in Bihar and bringjd(u)closertothebjp,union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday said “we need to recall that the BJP did not leave Nitish Kumar. He left us. Therefore, it is for him to take a call.”

Prasad had said it was “shocking” to see that the JD(U), which once fought against “Lalu’s corruption”, defending the RJD leader.healsosaidnitish’ssilence on the issue is “surprising”.

A senior BJP leader speaking separately said, “Nitish Kumar will have to repent and carry out many corrective measures because he had insulted our leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. If he takes initiatives and corrects himself, the BJP will consider it (reunion with the JD(U)),”

JD(U) general secretary K C Tyagi, however, said it was for the BJP to repent for having moved away from the ethos of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“The Atal era ethos of the BJP have come to an end. Those who were fringe elements in the past are dominating the BJP now. They are asking us to repent. It’s actually they (the BJP) who should repent for how they forgot history and moved away from the ethos of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“This BJP has no relevance for us.thereasonscitingwhichnitish Kumar had quit the NDA in 2013 stillremain,andkumar’sdecision to severe ties with BJP then have been proved correct,” he said.