‘ Without BJP, JD( U) govt is shaky’
Why has the BJP displayed such fierce aggression against Nitish Kumar’s government after having been its alliance partner for seven years until only a few weeks ago?
The JD ( U) split from the BJP midway through the government’s term and utterly insulted the mandate of the people of Bihar for coalition rule of the two parties which had fought the last election together.
The JD( U)’ s decision to break away from the BJP was not caused by any confrontation or provocation by the BJP, which observed coalition principles all along. It was the JD( U)’ s arrogance, overconfidence and desire to make ( future) electoral gains through convenient, empty secular posturing that led to the unexpected split.
It is, therefore, the BJP’s duty to tell the people of the JD( U)’ s opportunistic betrayal of a historic mandate. Our campaign is getting massive public response since the split on June 16. Has the BJP acted as a responsible Opposition party by calling frequent bandhs in Bihar in the past month?
After seven years of noteworthy progress in Bihar in all important sectors under the JD( U)- BJP coalition government, the government of the day has to be woken up from its slumber and paranoia when governance has suddenly taken a backseat. As recent incidents have shown, life in Bihar suddenly seems to be full of risks and dangers.
The indiscriminate police firing on poor tribal people in Bagaha that killed eight people on June 24, the serial terror blasts at the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya on July 7, the murder of three policemen and the snatching of their weapons by the Maoists on July 17 and the sheer negligence in the running of the midday meal scheme which led to the death of 23 children are worrying symptoms of paralysed governance.
Protests on the streets and bandhs are spontaneous reactions of the people against this government. The BJP, as the main Opposition party, has only stood in solidarity with the people. We will continue to voice their concerns and aspirations. Why does the BJP think governance in Bihar under chief minister Nitish Kumar stands paralysed?
The paralysis is now clear for everyone to see. Since the BJP was shown the door for no credible reason, 11 ministerial berths held earlier by BJP ministers have remained vacant. The chief minister now holds all these portfolios totalling 18 departments, besides those he originally held. So scared is he of possible revolts by JD( U) legislators, and the constant bargaining by independent members of Legislative Assemblies ( MLAs) supporting his minority government, that he has refused to expand his Cabinet.
Without the robust support and monitoring by the BJP, the JD( U) government is shaky. Its leaders spend all their energy in political manoeuvrings to somehow manage a majority. Many JD( U) MLAs are upset over the party taking the support of four Congress MLAs who bailed out the government in the trust vote. The people of Bihar had not given their overwhelming mandate in 2010 to the JD( U)BJP alliance to see such a shaky, paranoid government as exists today. What caused the recent midday meal disaster? Why does the government think it was the result of a “political conspiracy”?
First the education minister and then the chief minister himself have openly spoken of a conspiracy to destabilise their minority government. This shows irresponsibility and the use of cheap tac- tics to conceal a mountain of negligence in the midday meal scheme. The sudden absence of government control over important welfare schemes since the BJP’s departure has caused a total breakdown of systems that earlier worked perfectly. By complaining of a conspiracy, the government is trying in vain to tar the BJP and other parties of the Opposition with the same brush. But people know the difference. Why do you say the JD( U) had no credible reason to snap ties with the BJP when Mr Kumar was raising the issue of Narendra Modi so often? Mr Kumar has never openly articulated this as a reason. He has not even uttered Mr Modi’s name. It was the JD( U)’ s secret desire for an easy netting of minority votes that shaped the party’s decision. In his time Lalu Prasad Yadav got L. K. Advani arrested, gained Muslim votes as a result and won a few polls before losing badly.
As for the Modi question, many elections have al- ready been fought on the issue of Gujarat riots. The 11- year- old issue is now not going to bring Muslim votes to the JD( U). The new generation — including young Muslims — wants economic prosperity rather than politics over an emotional issue of long ago. Why does the BJP grumble about the JD( U) seeking credit for Bihar’s development?
Ours was a coalition government. Anyone seeking a fair share of the credit is fine. But the JD( U) seeks all the credit for Bihar’s progress and gives all the credit to the chief minister. That is unfair as the BJP was a strong, equal and important partner in Bihar’s progress during the seven years of coalition rule. The BJP’s absence from government is being widely felt now. Look at the paralysed governance. What about a JD( U) minister’s demand for a ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh?
It is ludicrous that the JD- U was reminded of the RSS only after 17 years of alliance with the BJP ended. This hypocrisy was punctured when we released some photographs ( of Mr Kumar attending an RSS event in Patna). There is clearly no scope for Congress- style pseudo- secularism in today’s politics in Bihar or elsewhere. Where does your once fabled personal friendship with Mr Kumar stand today?
That friendship was based on a mutual commitment to take Bihar to an ever higher plane of progress and prosperity. Our friendship was never above party lines and ideology.