BJP trying to communalise atmosphere in Bihar: Nitish, Lalu

The saffron party has neither any 'leader' nor any 'policy and intention' to show the people, says Kumar

Bihar's Grand Alliance leaders--Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD Chief Lalu Prasad--today accused BJP of trying to "communalise" the atmosphere in the poll-bound state, alleging that the party is in panic fearing "defeat."

Kumar said the saffron party has neither any 'leader' nor any 'policy and intention' to show the people and therefore it is trying to communalise the situation.

"BJP in panic--without neta, niti & niyat in Bihar & facing defeat they're brazenly attempting to communalise & mask it with Modi's rhetorics," Kumar said in a tweet.

Hitting out at BJP, Prasad, a former Bihar Chief Minister, said, "These people of rumour party seeing a sure defeat has no agenda and that's why they have fallen on their tested communal agenda."

Targeting BJP President Amit Shah, he asked him "where is the developmental agenda of BJP?"

Calling Shah as "Jumla babu", the RJD supremo said people of Bihar were well aware of "your tucha kartoot (mean activities)."

The comments by the two leaders came against the backdrop of the lynching of a man in Bishada village of Uttar Pradesh recently following rumours that the family had consumed and stored beef.

Addressing a public meeting, Kumar asked people to remain 'alert' as there would be attempts to create tension among communities to rake up emotion before the five-phase Assembly polls beginning October 12.

"You (people) have to maintain peace and harmony at any cost. It is their (BJP's) design to provoke you in order to reap (political) dividends," the senior JD(U) leader said.

Terming the BJP-led NDA a divided house, Kumar said a leader of one NDA constituent is making public statement against the leader of another partner.

He said former IAS officer R K Singh had joined BJP during Lok Sabha polls and now he is saying the party has given tickets to wrong candidates. "This is the situation of BJP."

Talking about senior BJP leaders being sidelined in the party, the chief minister said, "Shatrughan Sinha, whom we popularly know as Bihari Babu, has been sidelined in the party. There was a day when a large number of crowd used to come in the name of Sinha but BJP leaders took benefit of the opportunity and addressed the public meetings. But now he has been sidelined."

Late Kailashpati Mishra was founder member of the BJP but his daughter-in-law was denied ticket by the party after his demise, Kumar said, adding that former health minister Chandra Mohan Rai had faced the same fate.