File photo of senior JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar
Former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today criticised BJP for its euphoria over the victory in Haryana and Maharashtra and said Congress got over 400 seats in 1984 Lok Sabha polls but their downfall came within five years.
"They are going mad over victory in Haryana and Maharashtra close on heels of win in general election and making proud statement that now its turn of Bihar and Jharkhand...victory is transient...Congress under Rajiv Gandhi had won 411 seats in 1984 election, but its downfall came within five years in 1989," the senior Janata Dal (United) leader said.
"31 per cent vote par 282 seat
la kar and ab Haryana
aur Maharashtra me
jeet kar jhamak rahe hai itna chamakne ki kaya jaroorat hai...rajniti me bahoot guman ki bate nahi honi chaiye...kaal kaya hoga koi nahi jaanta (they are dancing over getting 282 seats from 31 per cent votes and now win in Haryana and Maharashtra, but in politics one should not become arrogant as nobody knows what will happen tomorrow)," he said.
Mr Kumar was addressing a JD(U)
dharna (sit-in) in Patna as part of statewide protest against Narendra Modi government going back on its poll promises of providing special category status, special package and special attention to Bihar.
JD(U) has signalled that special category status for Bihar would be its main poll plank in crucial Assembly election next year and today's day-long stir on the issue appears it is bracing for the state polls.
Pronouncing the prime minister's name for the first time from a public platform, Mr Kumar said, "Narendra Modi had told people of Bihar during poll campaign in clear terms that if his party is voted to power it will provide special category status, special package and special attention...but five months have lapsed since he came to power but there is no sign of fulfilling the promises."
Alleging that NDA government was "discriminating" against Bihar, Mr Kumar said, "They announced running a Bullet train but Bihar did not get new trains or fund for pending projects like Digha-Sonepur Railway bridge over the Ganga.
"Resource hit Bihar had spent Rs 1,000 crore on upkeep of National Highways, but it is yet to be reimbursed to the state. Likewise the Centre has been told that crucial Gandhi setu over the Ganga is hanging dangerously, but there is no step from the Centre in this direction," he said.
He said Bihar had formulated Agriculture Roadmap, but the Centre had not provided fund and stopped states from providing bonus to farmers in addition to minimum support price.
Accusing the Centre of misusing media for its benefits, he said, "RSS programme was shown live on DD and they claimed it had news value...who are you to decide news value...doesn't JD(U) agitation for special category status have news value?"
The JD(U) leader whose efforts to unit "Janata Parivar" by forging an alliance with JD(U), RJD and Congress which won 6 out of 10 seats in Bihar in bypoll recently, said "irrespective of win or loss efforts to unite Janata Parivar will go on."
"My campaigning for INLD in Haryana was an attempt in that direction...such efforts will continue," he said.
Pointing to incursion of Chinese army in India while its President was in the country and violation of ceasefire by Pakistan, he said BJP government had failed to live on its "tall claims" of teaching lessons to Pakistan and China.
"For everything they give the excuse that it's honeymoon period of the government...but how long this honeymoon will continue?" he asked.
Mr Kumar rubbished BJP's charge that he was running the state government through remote control and said, "I do not believe in remote control as I am leading from front."
Bihar JD(U) President Basistha Narayan Singh castigated BJP leaders for asking people to vote them to power in the state for special category status. "Why shall voters believe them again?" he asked.