Is Mulayam VC of university of secularism, asks Nitish
23 Sept 2015 7:24 AM IST
Friends-turned-foes Nitish Kumar and Mulayam Singh are at loggerheads ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar. In an interview to a TV channel, Nitish Kumar on Tuesday said: “Is Mulayam a vice-chancellor of the University of secularism....and are we just research scholars?” Nitish was reacting to comments made by the Samajwadi Party chief a few days ago when he asked how the Bihar Chief Minister claimed to have secular credentials all of a sudden.
“Who is secular? People who ran the government with the BJP’s support for 12 years? They are secular all of a sudden?” asked Yadav, referring to Janata Dal-United’s (JD-U) tie-up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar that ended two years ago.
“My party has consistently opposed the BJP. Look at what is happening in Bihar,” he added. Yadav further pointed out that many of his party workers were injured while fighting with the BJP during the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992. The Samajwadi Party chief had earlier quit the ‘Grand Alliance’ with Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Lalu Prasad in Bihar and said that his party would contest the elections on its own.
Interestingly, Nitish Kumar had made similar comments in 2009 on then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Manmohan Singh had at that time said although Kumar professed secularism, the “handshake with Modi” at an NDA rally in May led to doubts in his (PM’s) mind.
“The Prime Minister should not behave like the vice-chancellor of the `university of secularism’,” Nitish told reporters then. “Secularism is a thing of perception and no one should claim a monopoly over it,” he had said.
Nitish to be CM even if RJD gets more seats: Lalu Prasad
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will be the next CM even if Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) gets more seats than JD-U in the state Assembly elections, RJD chief Lalu Prasad said on Tuesday. He said if the grand alliance, which also includes Congress, comes to power, Kumar will occupy the hot seat, seeking to put to rest speculation over his stand if his party. He also targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over Rashtriya Swayamseval Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s suggestion for review of the reservation policy.
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