Bharatiya Janata Party State president Samrat Choudhary on Thursday taunted the frequent visits made by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to the residence of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad. Mr. Choudhary alleged that Mr. Kumar visits 10, Circular Road to pay his obeisance to Mr. Prasad. He further claimed that although Mr. Kumar is the Chief Minister of State it is in reality Mr. Prasad who runs a de facto “super government”.
Launching a scathing attack on the RJD and the Janata Dal (United), Mr. Choudhary accused Mr. Kumar of allowing the operation of multiple governments in the State. “In the last one month, meetings between Mr. Kumar and Mr. Prasad have increased manifold. Sometimes, Mr. Kumar visits the official residence of former Bihar CM Rabri Devi and, and at other times, Mr. Prasad visits 1, Aney Marg, the official residence of Mr. Kumar,” he said.
“Nitish Kumar is the Chief Minister in Bihar but Lalu Prasad is running a super government along with his family members. This includes his wife Rabri Devi, daughter Misa Bharti, and even Rohini Acharya is running the government from Singapore. Nitish ji goes to worship at the feet of Lalu ji. He has no choice except running the government as per the wish of Mr. Prasad, and so he visits there to take his marching orders,” Mr. Choudhary alleged while interacting with the media at the BJP party office.
“BJP believes in sabka saath, sabka vikas [support from all, development for all]. We have many leaders in the party and everyone thinks together to make the country, and the State, better, while strengthening the party further. This is not the RJD where there is one king and all the rest are servants.”
Attacking Mr. Prasad over corruption charges, the BJP leader claimed that although Mr. Prasad was willing to compromise with anyone to form an alliance, no one will be able to render a clean cheat to him in the many corruption cases he is charged with. He stressed that the BJP would certainly not give him a clean chit and that Tejashwi Yadav also falls in the same category.
“BJP believes that no criminal should go unpunished. However, the situation is completely different in Bihar. Lalu Prasad’s family are habitual terror mongers, and also have a history of protecting criminals,” Mr. Choudhary added.
Without naming anyone, the BJP State president said that in the past ministers would have to resign if a charge sheet were filed against them. “Today, however, things are different,” Mr. Choudhary said, hinting at Tejashwi Yadav, who continues to enjoy office in spite of his alleged involvement in the land-for-job scam case. Mr. Choudhary asked Mr. Kumar to apologise to those leaders who had to resign from the cabinet in the past when faced with corruption charges.
Last year, RJD MLC Kartik Kumar had to resign from the post of law minister after and his name cropped up in alleged criminal case.
Mr. Choudhary also claimed that it was BJP that made Lalu Prasad the Chief Minister of Bihar during his first term in the office.
“BJP blessed all the political parties but no one has blessings for the BJP. The authority of Nitish Kumar has ended. He is only polishing his face with the fund provided by the Centre. The way he [Mr. Kumar] was speaking during the launch of fourth agriculture road map to the President and the Governor, it is clear that people will avoid going to any of his programme,“ Mr. Choudhary said.
