Nitish asks Modi to withdraw his 'DNA' remark

 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today took strong objection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'DNA' remark made against him made during a recent rally, saying it was deemed as "an insult by a large section of the people of the state and beyond" and asked him to withdraw it.

In an open letter to the PM, which was released on social media sites Facebook and Twitter, Kumar said the comment was unbecoming of the office he holds.

"Your words have been taken as an insult by a large section of the people of the state and beyond. Most of us also feel that coming from you, the comment is rather unbecoming of the office you hold," he said.

Referring to Modi's proposed visit to Gaya on August 9, Kumar said he was writing this letter on behalf of those who felt hurt by his statement.

"I have no doubt that this gesture of yours (withdrawing the DNA remark) would go a long way in assuaging the sentiments of people and would further enhance the respect people have for you," he said.

During a speech at a rally in Muzaffarpur on July 25, Modi remembered the way Kumar had invited him to dinner and later cancelled the invitation. The PM went on to add that Kumar had not only disrespected him but also a '<g data-gr-id="49">mahadalit</g>' like former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.

"There seems to be some problem in his DNA because the DNA of democracy is not like that. In <g data-gr-id="53">democracy</g> you respect even your political rivals," Modi had said at the rally.

"Most of us feel these statements have gone beyond questioning my own descent. They have disrespected the lineage of our people and denigrated the great legacy of the state," the senior JD(U) leader said in the letter.

"This also gives credence to the feeling that perhaps you and your party hold a prejudice against the people of Bihar. I wonder how come the gravity of such statements repeatedly missed your alert conscience," he said.

Kumar, who has aligned with RJD, Congress and NCP to counter NDA in the coming Assembly elections, reminded Modi that this is not the first time such remarks have been made by the saffron party leaders.

"Earlier, your colleague and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari had said that casteism is in the DNA of Bihar. Interestingly, these are the same people who reposed their faith in you and contributed towards electing you to the highest office of the country with an overwhelming majority," he added.

"Nitish Kumar's DNA is that of betraying friends and allies whereas the DNA of Bihar represents harmony and welcoming a guest with dignity. DNA of Bihar does not teach anybody to snatch a plate kept in front of a guest after calling him for dinner," the BJP leader, a strong contender for chief ministership in the event of the party coming to power, said.

Kumar's ally Congress, however, backed him, with former Union Minister Renuka Chaudhry saying in Delhi,"PM should not have said so. He should immediately withdraw the comment as he is no more a <g data-gr-id="48">pracharak</g>." 

Senior JD(U) leader KC Tyagi too condemned the PM's remark and sought an apology from him. "It is not an insult of the CM but also of the 12 crore public of Bihar," he said.

Kumar's relations with Modi have been under strain for a long time now. The Bihar leader had in the past stalled BJP's plans to send Modi to the state for campaigning during elections, lest it would alienate his Muslim supporters.

The rift widened after advertisements highlighting donations by the Gujarat government for the Bihar flood victims appeared in newspapers. Nitish finally walked out of the NDA in June 2013, ending a 17-year association with BJP, after Modi was anointed the party's campaign committee chief for last year's Lok Sabha elections.

Nitish Kumar has brought up Modi's DNA remark, days ahead of his visit to Bihar, where BJP has decided to go to the hustings without declaring a chief ministerial candidate, banking wholly on the Prime Minister's popularity. Modi is scheduled to visit Gaya on August 9, Saharsa on August 18 and Bhagalpur five days later, as part of BJP's poll blitzkrieg.