Days after the meeting of non-BJP Opposition parties in Patna on June 23, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on June 29 slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi while listing achievements of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government in the past nine years.
“The Congress party has been launching Rahul baba [Mr. Gandhi] for the past 20 years. The Patna meeting [of Opposition parties] too was launching event of Rahul baba”, slammed the BJP leader in a public meeting at Gandhi Maidan in Lakhisarai of Munger district. Ruling Janata Dal (United) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh is an MP from Munger.
Earlier, State BJP leaders accorded warm welcome to Mr. Shah at the Patna airport and in Lakhisarai, which is also home turf of former Assembly Speaker and senior State BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha.
Taking aim at the Opposition, Mr. Shah said the 20 parties that met here on June 23 had “been involved in scams worth ₹20 lakh crore”. “People of Bihar should now decide whether they want Narendra Modi as Prime Minister in 2024 or the person the Congress has been launching for past 20 years,” said Mr. Shah.
Mr. Shah also launched a sharp attack on CM Kumar for making political U-turns to “remain on CM seat”. “I want to ask Nitish Kumar what have you done for Bihar and who will now trust you?” Mr. Shah said. He also charged that for the sake of power, Mr. Kumar had “changed homes and shook hands with Lalu Prasad while sitting on Congress’ lap”. “Nitish babu you should feel ashamed for joining hands with Lalu Prasad, Congress and [Arvind] Kejriwal”, he said.
Mr. Shah also reminded Mr. Kumar that the latter had started his political career by opposing Congress leader Indira Gandhi but has now has joined hands with those parties involved in scams and corruption “only to be in power”. “Nitish babu doesn’t want to become PM but wants to remain CM of Bihar and that is why he has joined hands with Lalu Prasad and Congress”, he added.
Mr. Shah also raised the issue of Article 370. “People said there will be bloodbath if Article 370 was scrapped in Jammu and Kashmir but not even a stone was thrown,” he said. He also spoke about welfare schemes and development work initiated by the Modi government in the past nine years for Bihar and Munger region in particular.
This was Mr. Shah’s third visit to the State after ruling JD(U) severed ties with the BJP in August 2022. Earlier, he had addressed public meetings in Purnia (September 2022) and Nawada (April 2023). “Bihar has been the land of movements, revolutions and changes”, Mr. Shah said while asking the gathered crowd, “Can you depend on Nitish Kumar?”.
Mr. Shah offered prayers at Ashok Dham, a famous temple in Lakhisarai dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Ahead of his visit to Lakhisarai, Mr. Kumar told mediapersons that “everyone is free to come here. Everyone has the right to visit Bihar”. Mr. Kumar though evaded questions on PM Modi’s strong pitch for Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
The ruling Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) had put up posters in Patna at several locations ridiculing Mr. Shah’s visit to the State. “Why is the BJP leadership silent over Manipur and misuse of central agencies?” said one poster while another questioned the “silence of BJP leaders on the wrestlers’ protest”. The BJP too had come out with posters slamming the Opposition parties and their meeting in Patna.
