Nitish asks Modi to disapprove Ghar Wapsi, praising Godse

Former Bihar chief minister and senior JD-U leader Nitish Kumar Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly disapprove his party BJP's Ghar Wapsi (home returning) campaign, and praise of Mahatma Gandhi's killer and hate speeches made by his party leaders.

"It is high time the prime minister should say that he disapproves of such things including Ghar Wapsi, praise of Gandhi's killer and hate speeches by his party leaders, inside parliament and outside," Nitish Kumar told media persons here.

He said Modi should not make it a prestige issue to speak in parliament on controversial issues like Ghar Wapsi -- the campaign by Hindu right wing organisations for reconversion of those who had left Hinduism.

"It would rather enhance his stature if he speaks," he said.

Nitish Kumar said Modi's silence shows that Ghar Wapsi is BJP's real agenda to promote reconversion to divide society and create tension for vote bank politics.

"Suddenly raising of issues of religious conversion was part of the BJP's well thought strategy to divert people's attention from failure to deliver on promises made earlier to people," he said.

"PM's silence over serious issues like Ghar Wapsi has encouraged some party leaders to say anything that is harming social fabric," he said.

Nitish said what shocked him was the way some BJP leaders have been praising and lauding Nathuram Godse, who killed Gandhi.

"...it is shameful that the killer of Gandhi is being made a hero by some BJP leaders," Nitish Kumar said.

Nitish Kumar said six parties including JD-U, SP, and JD-S will stage a sit-in protest against the failure of the BJP-led central government to bring back black money, to provide employment to the youth, enhance bonus to farmers and other promises made to people during the campaign in the last Lok Sabha polls.

"It is now the seventh month running after the Modi government came to power but it has failed on all fronts. There is nothing to show as achievements on poll-promises it had made to the people. Opposition parties like us have to expose it," he said.