What began as a unified response to Raj Thackeray’s hate politics, is now threatening to degenerate into unrestrained display of one-upmanship among Bihar’s political parties.
NEW DELHI: What began as a unified response to Raj Thackeray’s hate politics, is now threatening to degenerate into unrestrained display of one-upmanship among Bihar’s political parties.
A day after the JD(U) said its MPs would resign if Raj was not arrested by November 6, the RJD, LJP and the Congress responded by demanding that all public representatives in the state, including Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs and MLCs, also step down.
However, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar rejected the demand. The RJD, Congress and the LJP now blame the JD(U) for breaking the unity.
“Where is the sacrifice involved in resigning just a couple of months before the terms expire? If people are really serious then all our MPs and MLAs and MLCs should also resign,” said Union minister of state for home Shakeel Ahmad Khan.
“It is the JD(U) which must take the blame for destroying the unity among Bihar’s political class. They have proved that their own political interests are above that of the state,” LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan said.
Even the JD(U)’s ally in the state, the BJP, agrees. “The resignation threat was a drama started by the JD(U),” says BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy. “Both Lalu and Paswan are senior to Nitish Kumar, but since he is the CM everybody agreed to meet the PM under his leadership. His party is the one that broke ranks by unilaterally announcing that its MPs would quit,” said Khan.
To corner the JD(U), the three UPA parties suggested that the entire state political leadership jointly fight the injustice to people of Bihari origin.
“Let everybody put their money where their mouth is. Let Nitish Kumar also resign along with everybody else, it will send a powerful signal to the entire country,” said Lalu Prasad.
j_ansari@dnaindia.net
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