Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav intensified his criticism of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Addressing the crowd, Yadav accused Kumar of being unresponsive to others' opinions and highlighted the sacrifices made by the grand alliance government to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming 2024 elections.
Taking a swipe at Nitish Kumar's earlier commitment to not join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Tejashwi Yadav said, "You all very well know how our CM is, he does not want to listen to anyone. He used to say 'I will die, but won't join BJP'...We decided to stay with Nitish ji, no matter how much we have to sacrifice, only to defeat BJP in 2024...' Hum logo ne ek thake hue mukhyamantri ko Niyukt kiya hai'..." said RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.
"He does not want to listen to anyone, but still, ours was a grand alliance government, and we wanted to be united with a big goal, We have to stop the powers that be, those who work to sow poison in the country, so this time at any cost, no matter how much we have to bear, no matter how much we have to sacrifice, we joined Nitish ji, so that BJP will be defeated in 2024. We will do the work of ousting BJP from power and we had appointed a tired Chief Minister, " added Tejashwi Yadav.
Tejashwi Yadav, who joined Rahul Gandhi in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, drove the lead jeep as the procession made its way through Bihar's Sasaram. This marked the first time Yadav shared the stage with Rahul Gandhi in Bihar since Nitish Kumar severed ties with the grand alliance. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, currently in its 34th day, is set to enter Uttar Pradesh later today after covering various parts of Bihar. Tejashwi Yadav and Rahul Gandhi are scheduled to address a gathering in Kaimur, and the yatra will continue its journey into Uttar Pradesh.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi is set to join the yatra in Uttar Pradesh on Friday evening, standing in solidarity with her brother Rahul Gandhi. The yatra, covering 6,700 km through 15 states, aims to convey the message of "nyay" (justice) while engaging with common people along the way. The yatra is set to be in Uttar Pradesh until the evening of February 25, with a two-day break on February 22 and 23.