Tejashwi Yadav-Nitish Kumar war of words erupts amid Bihar floor test
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav threw down the gauntlet to chief minister Nitish Kumar, saying he will stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP in Bihar.
Patna: Speaking in the Bihar assembly before the floor test on Monday, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav threw down the gauntlet to chief minister Nitish Kumar, saying he will stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP in the state.
Yadav also took potshots at Kumar for switching to the BJP-led NDA from the INDIA bloc, saying the Janata Dal (United) founder took oath as the chief minister three times in a single term.
"I feel bad for JD(U) MLAs because they will have to go among the public and answer. If someone asks you why Nitish Kumar took oath three times, what would you say? Earlier you used to criticise them (BJP) and now you are praising them, what will you say? We (RJD) will say that we have given jobs," Yadav said in the Bihar assembly.
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Referring to socialist Nitish Kumar joining hands with the BJP after quitting the Opposition's alliance he himself formed, Yadav said "his nephew" will stop the BJP juggernaut.
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"We think of you (CM Nitish Kumar) as a member of our family. We are from the Samajwadi family...Jo aap jhanda le kar ke chale the ki Modi ko desh mein rokne hain, ab aapka Bhateeja jhanda utha kar ke Modi ko Bihar mein rokne ka kaam karega (the flag you had raised to stop the BJP across the country, now your nephew (Tejashwi Yadav himself) will carry that flag and stop Modi in Bihar)," he added.
Yadav often calls Nitish Kumar his uncle.
Also read: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar says he will remain in NDA ‘forever’ now
Bharat Ratna becomes an issue
Referring to the central government's decision to confer Bharat Ratna on socialist stalwart Karpoori Thakur, Yadav promised Kumar the award if he dealt with the Mahagathbandhan.
"I am happy that Karpoori Thakur got (Bharat Ratna)...They (BJP) have made Bharat Ratna a deal. Deal with us and we will give you Bharat Ratna," he said.
"We will always respect CM Nitish Kumar. When you came out of Raj Bhavan after resigning, you (Nitish Kumar) said 'Mann nahi lag raha tha, hum log nachne gaane ke liye thode hai (we were not there to dance and sing), we were there to support you," the RJD leader added.
Referring to Nitish Kumar losing his cool on Jitan Ram Manjhi in the Bihar assembly last year, he took a sharp jibe at both the leaders.
"In the last session, when Jitan Ram Manjhi presented his views, the CM got angry and later Manjhi Ji said that someone gave you (Nitish Kumar) wrong medicine and that his mental condition was not good and should be treated. Now I have full trust that Manjhi Ji will give good medicine," he said.
The JD(U) has 45 MLAs in the House of 243 while its partners, the BJP and the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), have 79 and 4 sitting legislators respectively. With the support of another Independent MLA, the NDA has 128 MLAs in the House against 115 of the Mahagathbandhan.
With inputs from ANI
