Patna : The clash between Bihar’s ruling allies, the JD-U and the BJP, is intensifying with leaders of both parties taking potshots at each other over various issues.
On Saturday, JD-U Parliamentary Board President Upendra Kushwaha, and party’s national President Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh slammed the BJP during an event to celebrate the birth anniversary of Emperor Ashoka.
Kushwaha said: “Nitish Kumar is our leader. Without him, we will not take part in any alliance in Bihar.”
He also hinted at “a big conspiracy going on in the country to finish reservation”.
“The silence of the BJP on caste based census is extremely dangerous. When I was the Union Minister, a big leader of the BJP agreed on conducting a caste based census in the country. Now, they have stepoed back from this issue. If a caste-based census would not happen in the country, the reservation will be finished. There is a big conspiracy going on the take away reservation in the country,” he alleged.
Kushwaha said that the birth anniversaries of great leaders should be celebrated here.
“There is an ill practice going on to defame the image of great people of the country. They often give statements on it. They are trying to start a new tradition in the country which is absolutely wrong.
“A litterateur of the country had compared Samrat Ashok with Aurangzeb and the BJP government rewarded him with a prestigious award. We objected it on that occasion and demanded from the government to withdraw the award. Interestingly, they have not taken back the award,” Kushwaha said.
Kushwaha further said that BJP is taking credit for demanding a national holiday on the birth anniversary of the legendary Emperor.
“I want to tell BJP and Sushil Modi that we were demanded for the first time to declare a public holiday and it was implemented during the government of Mahagathbandhan (JD-U, RJD and Congress) in Bihar,” he said.
Lalan Singh said: “Nitish Kumar became the Chief Minister of state due to the support of people of Bihar and not due to the obligation of anyone.
“He has been working for every section of Bihar in the last 17 years. He has given reservation to women and most backward class people in the state.”
–IANS