BJP nervous after formation of INDIA: Nitish

The Bihar CM said the Opposition’s demand for a statement from PM Modi in Parliament on the Manipur violence and the incident of two women being paraded naked was justified.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had called the meeting of NDA constituents recently out of nervousness in the wake of the formation of the Opposition alliance, the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), and attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “silence” in Parliament over the Manipur situation.

Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and CM Nitish Kumar pay tribute to Kargil heroes in Patna. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

Kumar said the Opposition’s demand for a statement from PM Modi in Parliament on the Manipur violence and the incident of two women being paraded naked was justified.

The CM was asked about the no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition against BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.

“Demand of Opposition parties is justified… the PM must make a statement in Parliament on the current situation in ethnic strife-torn Manipur. There is no sign of an end to the violence. Innocent people are being killed…women are being brutally tortured,” Kumar told reporters in Patna.

Reacting on barbs by PM Modi and BJP leaders on the Opposition front acronym INDIA, Kumar said BJP had become nervous by the formation of the new Opposition front.

“ The NDA was formed during former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But was there any meeting of NDA in recent years? I had returned to NDA fold in 2017. Where was any meeting held? Now, when we have formed the Opposition front, they (read BJP) have become jittery and are calling meetings of allies. People even do not the know names of some parties called at the NDA meeting recently,” Kumar said in jibe at the NDA meeting on July 18 in New Delhi, which coincided with the second meeting of 26 Opposition in Bengaluru where the name of the alliance INDIA was decided.

Kumar also attacked BJP’s “for its agenda to change country’s history”.

“I had snapped ties with the BJP for this reason. They want to change the history of the country. But they would never succeed,” he said.

On the new Opposition alliance, Kumar said a lot many issues have been resolved and more would be fine-tuned in the upcoming meetings.

Referring to transfers of around 400 revenue officials, which were effected in June but cancelled on Tuesday, Kumar said it was done for rectifying certain discrepancies.

“We had got information that some transfers were done unnecessarily. So, it was decided with consultations with the ministers and the department that we carry out fresh transfers after rectifying certain mistakes. I have asked officials to look into the matter,” he said.