Hindustan Times (Delhi)

Nitish attacks Modi for ‘caste change’, distortion of facts

- Arun Kumar arunkr@hindustant­imes.com

PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “changing his caste profile to suit BJP’s electoral needs” and “distorting facts”.

Daring Modi for a debate on developmen­t, Kumar said it was unbecoming of a PM to so “blatantly play up” his caste profile. “From a developmen­t driver, he became OBC and now he is calling himself an EBC. We don’t know if Gujarat has EBCs. Don’t be surprised if he becomes a Dalit also in course of polls.”

On the PM’s statement that the JD-U, RJD and Congress were conspiring to take away 5% reservatio­n of SC, ST and OBCs to give it to a particular community, Kumar said it was absurd and “perverted casteist approach”.

The chief minister said that the RSS was honest in airing its ideology on reservatio­n, while the BJP was not. “If the PM has guts, he should condemn the RSS chief’s statement. The truth is that the BJP is waiting for the day it has enough numbers in the Rajya Sabha so that it could tamper with the Constituti­on,” he added.

Kumar also hit out at the PM for raising issues of developmen­t, industrial­isation and power in his speeches. “The PM should give his report card of the last 17 months. Even in industries, Bihar has grown. If big ticket investment­s have not come, it is precisely why we are asking for special category status for Bihar so that big industries could feel encouraged coming here,” he said. THE RICH AND THE INFAMOUS

candidates in the third phase of elections are yet to declare their PAN details

have not declared their income tax details

are crorepati candidates have criminal background. Of these, 31 candidates have been booked under murderrela­ted cases THE RICHEST THREE

Ramesh Sharma (Independen­t) CROREPATIS

Dr Kumar Indradev (Independen­t) TAINTED Akhilesh Kumar (BSP)

 ??  ?? Sources: Associatio­n of Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Bihar Election Watch
Sources: Associatio­n of Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Bihar Election Watch
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