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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seems convinced of the political mileage he can derive out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on his “DNA”.
Terming the PM’s comments an “insult” to Bihar, Kumar wrote to the PM on Wednesday, provoking an angry response from Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Prasad asserted that by equating himself with the collective pride and identity of the people of Bihar, Kumar had displayed “extreme arrogance”.
“Don’t equate your arrogance with the identity of Bihar which is greater, more sober and generous. It draws from the greatness of Dr Rajendra Prasad, Karpoori Thakur and Ramdhari Singh Dinkar,” Prasad said, adding that while the PM would reply to Kumar in due course, the BJP could not help but be “stunned by his arrogance”.
Simultaneously, BJP’s allies in Bihar – Ramvilas Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party, Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party and Jitan Ram Manjhi of the Hindustan Awami Morcha – along with state leaders CP Thakur and Sushil Modi, wrote an open letter to Nitish Kumar attacking him for “distorting” the PM’s remarks.
“Nitish Kumar’s politics can be described in four letters – ABCD of Arrogance, Betrayal, Conspiracy and Deceit,” said the Bihar leaders in their letter.
The controversy goes back to Modi’s rally in Muzaffarpur on July 25 where he recalled how Kumar had cancelled a dinner invitation to him. The PM added that Kumar had not only disrespected him but also a ‘mahadalit’ like Manjhi, the ex-Chief Minister.
“There seems to be some problem in his DNA because the DNA of democracy is not like that. In democracy you respect even your political rivals,” Modi had said at the rally.
Withdraw remarks: NitishThe Bihar CM asked the PM to withdraw his remarks. “Your words have been taken as an insult by a large section of the people of the state and beyond. Most of us also feel that coming from you, the comment is rather unbecoming of the office you hold,” he said.
“Most of us feel these statements have gone beyond questioning my own descent. They have disrespected the lineage of our people and denigrated the great legacy of the state.”
Kumar’s party, the Janata Dal (United), has aligned with former foe RJD, and the Congress and NCP to counter NDA in the coming Assembly elections.
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