 "Nitish Kumar appeals to opposition to unite against BJP, calls for BJP/RSS mukt Bharat")
Coming down heavily on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's call for a "BJP/RSS-mukt Bharat", the BJP on Sunday said the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader was "daydreaming".
"What is Nitish Kumar's credibility to call for a BJP-mukt Bharat when he himself had been 'BJP-yukt' (associated with BJP) for 17 long years?" BJP spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain told IANS.
Read more from our special coverage on "NITISH KUMAR"
Hussain said such statements were a "desperate bid on the part of a regional party leader" to hog the limelight.
"Nitish Kumar's JD-U is a regional party that has never contested on all the seats even in Bihar," he said.
Hussain said the Bihar chief minister was dreaming of playing a crucial role in national politics.
"These are his dreams but these dreams will not be realised. The Janata Dal is not united even in Bihar. So Nitish Kumar first needs to build his party at a national level before giving such statements," Hussain added.
Nitish Kumar had on Saturday appealed to the opposition to unite against the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"All the organisations which do not identify with BJP/RSS communal politics will have to come under one banner to save our democracy," Nitish Kumar said.
He predicted that the country was heading towards a bipolar political divide with BJP-RSS on one side and the rest on the other.
Nitish Kumar's comments did not go down well with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as well.
"RSS is the soul of India. How can they free India of its soul?" RSS leader Rakesh Sinha said on Sunday.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app