Highlight
- Kumar was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of an engineering college in Samastipur
- Kumar said that he will work with Bihar for the development of the country.
- BJP wants a confrontation between us, alleges Nitish Kumar
Nitish Kumar on Friday vowed that he would never forge an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party again. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of an engineering college built at a cost of Rs 75 crore in Samastipur, the Bihar Chief Minister said that he would work with Bihar for the progress of the country.
Kumar hit out at the saffron party for targeting him since the breakup of the BJP-JD(U) alliance in August this year and alleged that the former allies were trying to create conflict in the grand alliance.
“BJP people keep talking nonsense. I had left the Grand Alliance and joined NDA (in 2017) but now I am back. BJP wants the conflict between us to increase to such an extent that we get frustrated. BJP accuses me is attacking. Nowadays,” he said.
Recalling his association with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and other veteran BJP leaders, Kumar said, “They (BJP) have forgotten that Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister in 1998. They made me a Union minister then. I was assigned three ministries. Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi worked for the development of the country. Today people sitting at the center have nothing to do with development.”
He alleged that the BJP was working to create discord in the society.
“BJP is working to create conflict in the society. It has nothing to do with the progress of the country. I will never make an alliance with BJP in my life. I will be with Samajwadi (Socialists) and save the country. Will take forward Bihar,” the chief minister said.
Bihar CM’s allegation, central agencies targeted Lalu Prasad
Speaking further, Kumar accused the former aide of using investigative agencies to target political opponents like RJD president Lalu Prasad.
He said, “They filed a case against Lalu ji, due to which I severed my ties with him. Nothing worked out of it. And now that we are together again, they are registering new cases. You are against these people. Can trace the working style, Kumar told the gathering without naming the BJP.
Prasad was named a few years ago in IRCTC land for the hotel scam in which his son Tejashwi Yadav, who was serving his first term as deputy CM at that time, was also made an accused.
This unnerved Kumar, who set up several stores on his reputation for personal integrity, and led to his return to the NDA.
The RJD president and his family members were recently charge-sheeted in another land for the jobs scam related to Prasad’s tenure as railway minister in the UPA-I government.
“Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in whose cabinet I had the privilege of serving, and leaders of the same party in the past like LK Advani, the then Deputy Prime Minister, were so different. I also remember Murli Manohar Joshi who served as my alma mater, Honored my request to upgrade Bihar Engineering College as National Institute of Technology,” Kumar said.
“In contrast, those who are currently at the helm of affairs, listen to no one, and have little regard for any person and his concerns. I want to say that as long as I live, I will Won’t go back to them.” The JD(U) leader, who quit the BJP two months ago over allegations of attempts to split his party.
Referring to his joining the multi-party ‘Mahagathbandhan’, which includes RJD, Congress and three Left parties, Kumar vowed “we are all socialists by firm belief. We will stay together and work for the progress of the nation”.
After breaking ties with the BJP, Bihar’s longest-serving chief minister has become a strong supporter of “opposition unity” and claims it will ensure the defeat of the BJP, which currently appears formidable.
‘Bihar CM changed sides’: Amit Shah
Earlier on October 11, Union Home Minister Amit Shah explicitly targeted Nitish Kumar in parallel with the current politics in Bihar, saying JP never did anything for power and worked for principles throughout his life, Whereas “the people who switch sides for power are the chief ministers of Bihar”.
“I ask the people of Bihar – the leaders who achieved height through JP movement are sitting in the lap of Congress for power, are you with them?” The home minister said.
Shah praised JP Narayan and said that he never did anything for power and worked for principles throughout his life.
“Today the people who switched sides for power are the chief ministers of Bihar,” he said.
Amit Shah further said, “This is not the path shown by him (Jaiprakash Narayan). He never did anything for power and worked for principles throughout his life. Today people who switched sides for power 5 times are from Bihar. CM.”
(with inputs from ANI)
Read also | Nitish Kumar slams Amit Shah, says- ‘HM is not of age to comment on JP’