File photo of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying the united secular forces in the state had "unmasked" its game plan of creating a situation for imposing President's Rule by propping up Jitan Ram Manjhi against him.
"Today they stand unmasked after their game plan has been foiled by a strong unity among secular forces of JD(U), RJD, Congress and CPI," Mr Kumar said while answering nearly four-hour debate on his confidence motion in the state Assembly.
Mr Kumar, who was sworn-in as Chief Minister of Bihar for the fourth time on February 22 last, passed floor test comfortably.
While a total of 140 votes were cast in favour of the confidence motion none was against it. The BJP with 87 members had staged a walk out in the House before the motion was put to vote.
The trust vote was first approved by voice vote and latter on insistence of the treasury bench by lobby division.
Mr Kumar said the Delhi election had heralded the "downhill electoral journey" of the BJP which would gain momentum from Bihar, where poll was due later this year.
Mr Kumar attacked BJP for propping up outgoing Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi against him and tore into saffron party claim on welfare of mahadalits.
"If you are sincerely in favour of mahadalit than why don't you change your slogan from' Jai Sri Ram' to 'Jai Jitan Ram'," he said mockingly.
Mr Kumar also defended his joining hands with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of Lalu Prasad and instead questioned BJP tie up with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir.
"We share the same background and has parted ways due to difference on question of certain issues in Bihar. Now seeing the present situation when secularism has been under threat we have joined hands to defeat the BJP," Mr Kumar said.
"Are you feeling happy today when terrorists are being freed by your partner PDP?" the Chief Minister taunted BJP members.
Earlier, Leader of Opposition in Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav had said Mr Kumar claim of good governance was "self contradictory" as he has joined hands with RJD and Congress.
Mr Yadav also refuted any efforts by his party to facilitate ground for imposition of President rule in Bihar and said after six months the party would come to power in the state.
Meanwhile, Mr Kumar alleged that the BJP caused ideological death of Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee who had given the slogan one flag one constitution" by not giving a go bye to its stand on Article 370.
He also hit at the BJP for "interferance" in the affairs of JD(U), he said, "Changing CM is a priority of a party, but what for you (BJP) were meddling in our affairs to gain politically?"
Mr Kumar also justified the act of the party to bring him back as the CM. "Though the mandate was for Keshubhai Patel in Gujarat, but Narendra Modi was made CM in his place by BJP in 2002. Likewise in Madhya Pradesh the vote was won in the name of Uma Bharti but first Babu Lal Gaur and later Shivraj Singh Chauhan were made CM there," he said.
The Bihar CM alleged that BJP had been playing foul with old associates like Shiv Sena and Shrimoni Akali Dal (SAD).
Meanwhile, RJD Legislature party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui launched a scathing attack at the BJP while supporting trust vote in favour of the Nitish government.
His Congress counterpart Sadanand Singh echoed similar views. Lone CPI member Awdesh Roy also supported confidence motion of Mr Kumar.