BJP running Bihar govt through remote control using Nitish's face: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday charged the BJP with running the government in Bihar "through remote control", using the face of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha made the remark in Muzaffarpur district, where he addressed his maiden election rally in the state.

"I agree with Tejashwi Yadav, who spoke just before me, that the government in Bihar is being run through remote control. They are simply using the face of Nitish Kumar," claimed Gandhi.

The former Congress president also lambasted the ruling BJP at the Centre for being "against social justice" and pointed out that it was at the opposition party's insistence that the Narendra Modi government agreed to a caste census.

Gandhi alleged, "Two Indias are emerging. One belongs to the common people, and the other to five or 10 billionaires. This is the reason that places like Bihar suffer in poverty, with its vast potential remaining untapped."  "You all must have seen the drama that PM Narendra Modi wanted to enact by declaring that he was going to take a dip in the Yamuna on the occasion of Chhath Puja. When it came to the fore that it was a water body created through piped water, Modi flinched," claimed the Congress leader.

"Modi boasts of making cheap data available to the people. He hides the fact that a monopoly of one business house has been allowed in the telecom sector. He kept silent on the destruction caused to the economy by demonetisation," he claimed.

The Congress leader, who had carried out a Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar a couple of months ago, also alleged that "they stole the polls in Maharashtra and Haryana. They will try to do the same in Bihar."  He asserted that if the INDIA bloc forms the new government, it will ensure that the interests of all sections of society, cutting across caste and religious lines, are taken care of.

"Theft of votes is an assault on the Constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar. We are committed to protecting the Constitution," said Gandhi.

Gandhi also spoke of the glorious ancient past of Bihar, mentioning the Nalanda University, and added, "Your potential is still evident. People from the state are doing well in Dubai, Mauritius, Seychelles and America".

"Your potential needs to be tapped. The modern University of Nalanda was a brainchild of the previous Congress-led government at the Centre. I foresee a future when Americans would come to Bihar for higher learning," he said.

"You are also able to understand political intricacies in a matter of seconds. I would urge you not to be swayed by the drama of Narendra Modi. He would be ready to dance on the stage if he sensed that it would fetch you votes," he alleged.