Nitish insulted people's mandate, says ex-Deputy CM Prasad; JD-U hits back

Patna, Aug 24 BJP leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tar Kishore Prasad on Wednesday attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for "insulting" the mandate of people by forming the government with the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, drawing a riposte from a JD-U minister, who accused his party of duplicity.

"The aspiration of Nitish Kumar became the hurdle in the development of Bihar. His over-ambition grew in 2013 and 2022 and he takes the other way. This is not healthy for democracy. In 2014, he brought the son of a Mahadalit (Jitan Ram Manjhi) to the post of Chief Minister and then removed him," Prasad said, during the debate before the vote of trust of the new Nitish Kumar government.

"The 2019 Lok Sabha election was contested in the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and NDA won 39 out of 40 seats. In the 2020 Assembly election, the people of Bihar gave the mandate to the NDA but Nitish Kumar insulted the mandate and went with the RJD. The NDA government was running smoothly until the over ambition of Nitish Kumar grew up again and he went with RJD and formed the government," he added.

"At present, 72 per cent of ministers of the Bihar government have a criminal record. Hence, how could we expect good governance from them? The Jungle Raj has returned to Bihar again," he alleged.

"In 2017, when Nitish Kumar left the Mahagathbandhan, (RJD leader and now Deputy Chief Minister) Tejashwi Yadav said that Nitish Kumar was a person who cheated everyone who was close to him. He used the terminology 'Paltu Kumar, Kursi Kumar' for Nitish Kumar. Even, RJD national President Lalu Prasad Yadav said that Nitish Kumar is a Paltu Ram... He said that when Nitish Kumar gave an excuse of illness, he would execute his Paltimar programme. He (Nitish Kumar) had given the excuse of having corona in the first week of August and executed the Paltimar plan on August 9," Prasad said.

"Nitish Kumar is a batsman who used to run out his partners. He has sat on the chair of Chief Minister for eight times.. the Deputy Chief Ministers have been changed but he remains in his post," he added.

In response, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary citied Bashir Badr's famous sher: "Kuch to majbooriyan rahi hongi, yu hi koi bewafa nahi hot..."

"We have never cheated nor insulted the mandate of Bihar. We have formed the government under the leadership of Nitish Kumar in 2020 and he is the Chief Minister of Bihar. Tar Kishore Prasad said that he had put a son of Mahadalit on the chair of Chief Minister and then removed him. I want to say to him that he (Manjhi) is with us and sitting alongside me," he said.

"When we separated from the Mahagathbandhan in 2017 and formed the government with the BJP, it was a respect of the mandate and now we are separated from you (the BJP), then we have insulted the mandate. When we are with you, our number is 126 and when we are with Mahagathbandhan, our strength is 164. As per the history, whenever, the BJP comes into power, it has taken the help of Nitish Kumar," Chaudhary said.

The minister also said that the "double-engine" government will do development of Bihar but nothing had happened, and recited another sher: "Ham to inke saath ja kar chand sitaron ji tamanna ki thi, Par kali siyahi ke siwa kuch nahi mila."

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