A day after its 17-year-old alliance with the JD(U) ended, an angry BJP on Monday decided to expose the ‘doublespeak’ of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar over Narendra Modi by distributing CDs of an old video in which he praised the Gujarat chief minister.
Nitish Kumar, however, made light of the threat, contending these were comments at official events, where it is the protocol not to attack political adversaries.
‘We will expose the doublespeak of Nitish Kumar by distributing CDs of an old video in which Nitish Kumar praised Modi during his visit to Gujarat in 2003, a year after the Gujarat riots,’ senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi told media persons here on Monday.
‘These CDs will be distributed among people in rural as well as in urban areas. People will come to know the doublespeak and double face of Nitish Kumar over Modi,’ he said.
Soon after JD(U) ended its alliance with BJP on Sunday afternoon, the BJP released a speech in which Nitish Kumar as a railway minister praised Modi as a potential national leader and a development-oriented politician. ‘I hope that Narendra Modi will not be limited to Gujarat after some time. The country needs his services,’ Nitish Kumar reportedly then said.
Defending himself, Nitish Kumar said: ‘I had to go for a lot of government events. At government events, you don’t push your party’s opinions or agenda. That is not protocol. It is protocol that at these events, you don’t attack each other or make public complaints.’
Nitish Kumar has been opposing Narendra Modi since 2010 and last month clearly made it clear that JD(U) will not accept him as prime ministerial candidate of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday criticised former NDA ally JD(U) for questioning the elevation of Narendra Modi in the party and advised the Sharad Yadav-led outfit not to ‘poke its nose into other parties’.
‘It is our right to decide who should preside, who should be the chairman of the campaign committee. If anyone says who should be the JD(U) president,I can’t say,’ he said, commenting on the party breaking its 17-year-long alliance with BJP.
Refusing to accept the reason (Narendra Modi’s elevation) cited by JD(U) to walk out of the alliance, he said, ‘The reason given by JD(U) is not all satisfactory. There is something to it. JD(U) had itself earlier praised Modi’s leadership. Why should there be any objection now?’
Nitish Kumar, however, made light of the threat, contending these were comments at official events, where it is the protocol not to attack political adversaries.
‘We will expose the doublespeak of Nitish Kumar by distributing CDs of an old video in which Nitish Kumar praised Modi during his visit to Gujarat in 2003, a year after the Gujarat riots,’ senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi told media persons here on Monday.
‘These CDs will be distributed among people in rural as well as in urban areas. People will come to know the doublespeak and double face of Nitish Kumar over Modi,’ he said.
Soon after JD(U) ended its alliance with BJP on Sunday afternoon, the BJP released a speech in which Nitish Kumar as a railway minister praised Modi as a potential national leader and a development-oriented politician. ‘I hope that Narendra Modi will not be limited to Gujarat after some time. The country needs his services,’ Nitish Kumar reportedly then said.
Defending himself, Nitish Kumar said: ‘I had to go for a lot of government events. At government events, you don’t push your party’s opinions or agenda. That is not protocol. It is protocol that at these events, you don’t attack each other or make public complaints.’
Nitish Kumar has been opposing Narendra Modi since 2010 and last month clearly made it clear that JD(U) will not accept him as prime ministerial candidate of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday criticised former NDA ally JD(U) for questioning the elevation of Narendra Modi in the party and advised the Sharad Yadav-led outfit not to ‘poke its nose into other parties’.
‘It is our right to decide who should preside, who should be the chairman of the campaign committee. If anyone says who should be the JD(U) president,I can’t say,’ he said, commenting on the party breaking its 17-year-long alliance with BJP.
Refusing to accept the reason (Narendra Modi’s elevation) cited by JD(U) to walk out of the alliance, he said, ‘The reason given by JD(U) is not all satisfactory. There is something to it. JD(U) had itself earlier praised Modi’s leadership. Why should there be any objection now?’