Nitish Kumar agrees with Advani's fear on Emergency

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said he agreed with senior BJP leader L.K. Advani who expressed fear over return of Emergency in the country by saying that "forces that can crush democracy have become stronger".

The chief minister also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party over the ongoing Sushma Swaraj-Lalit Modi controversy.

"The BJP leader is right to a large extent on his statement that at the present point of time, the forces that can crush democracy, notwithstanding the constitutional and legal safeguards, are stronger," Nitish Kumar told mediapersons here.

"Advani is a veteran leader; there is need to give attention to his fear and worry," he added.

Without naming the prime minister or former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi, Nitish Kumar said that the central government was protecting a law-breaker, who should be punished.

"The BJP- led government at the centre is protecting and safeguarding the interests of a law- breaker," he said.

"It is unfortunate but true," the Bihar chief minister quipped.

Taking a dig at the BJP, he said that BJP leaders were till last week repeatedly claiming that their one-year-old government at the centre was "corruption- and scam-free".

"But now, they have to explain to the people about their government's help to favourites," said Nitish Kumar, a Janata Dal-United leader who is a chief ministerial candidate of the Janata Parivar in the coming assembly elections.

"Is it not corruption or a scam," he asked.

Nitish Kumar said that the Lalit Modi affair had "exposed" the central government's favouritism for a few powerful people.

"The silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the controversy involving External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Lalit Modi and Rajashtan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje suggests that he supports them," Nitish Kumar said.