Nitish Kumar hits out at Narendra Modi after Bihar barb

[1]

With the 2014 general election just two years away, a tussle is developing within the NDA on who will get the top job if it manages to lead the government.

While the RSS and some BJP leaders are projecting Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is in no mood to shed his prime ministerial ambitions.

A day after Modi targeted Kumar saying 'casteist' leaders had pushed Bihar back to economic backwardness and that 'Gujarat will never be another Bihar', Kumar hit back Monday: “Bihar par tippani karne walon ko apne halaat ke bare me sochana chahiye (One should think about his own situation before commenting on Bihar).”

With Modi’s selectively naming of Bihar and his choice of Hindi in Rajkot to lash out at the ills of Bihar’s casteist politics having apparently touched raw political nerves in Bihar’s two ruling NDA allies — JD(U) and BJP — a visibly upset Kumar said: “Chalni duse sup ko.” (The circular sieve for cleaning flour is finding fault with the rectangular leaf plate that separates pebbles from grains.)

JD(U) leaders, who have been projecting Kumar as the NDA’s most suitable prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections, and believe Modi specifically named Bihar in order to target Kumar, were elated at Kumar’s deft use of the idiom that is equally popular in Bhojpuri, Magahi and Maithili dialects across the state.

Obliquely asking both Modi and the BJP to look within themselves in their times of crisis and lauding Bihar’s glorious past, Kumar said: “Those making remarks on Bihar should first think of their own situation. Bihar has a glorious history and has been a place of learning since ancient times”.

Kumar, however, did not take any names and said he was not in the habit of making comments about others. “It is for you (media) to interpret my words,” he said.

While JD(U) leaders were hurt by the Gujarat-Bihar contrast in economic development implied in Modi’s speech, most BJP leaders in Bihar maintained an uneasy silence over both Modi’s speech and Kumar’s retort.

In New Delhi, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav took a dig at Modi, and said, “Gujarat has progressed because of its history and geography”. He added 'no individual should try to take credit for Gujarat'.

“People have a poor standing of history and hence talk regarding it in their own way for temporary political gains but caste is a reality. Is Gujarat casteless? Which part of the country is out of caste influence?” he asked.

Most BJP leaders in Bihar kept an uneasy silence on the remarks by both CMs.

Vocal Bihar BJP ministers like Ashwni Kumar Choubey and Giriraj Singh spoke in conciliatory terms, in contrast to their strong support for Modi in recent months.