Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on Thursday, supported the concern of BJP patriarch L K Advani that Emergency-like situation could emerge again and said that Bihar was "facing it on a daily basis".
"Advani is among the senior-most leaders of BJP and his concerns should be considered seriously. As far as Emergency-like situation is concerned, we are facing it here on a daily basis," Kumar said. The Bihar Chief Minister was talking to media persons on the sidelines of an agriculture and food processing conclave in the state capital. Though he did not elaborate much on how the state was facing such a situation, he took the opportunity to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.
L K Advani in an interview published in a leading English daily said, "Forces that can crush democracy are stronger...I don't have the confidence it (Emergency) cannot happen again". Nitish said, "Just see what kind of promises were made during the Lok Sabha polls and what has happened to them after they (BJP) came to power. They used to boast that they have completed one year and there have been no scams during the period, but see how many scams have started surfacing now."
Referring to the controversy involving External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who purportedly helped former IPL boss Lalit Modi, a fugitive in money laundering cases pursed by the Enforcement Directorate, procure travel documents; Nitish called it a case of "favouritism" instead of humanitarianism and targeted the Prime Minister over it.
The Bihar Chief Minister used a Sanskrit adage 'Maunam svikriti lakshanam' (silence is acceptance) to claim that the Prime Minister accepted the Swaraj-Lalit Modi issue. "His (Narendra Modi's) silence on the matter shows his approval and acceptance. It (Swaraj-Lalit Modi) is a clear cut case of favouritism, but the Centre is trying to wash its hands off the issue by saying it was done on humanitarian grounds. They used to boast so much about governance and now things are coming out," Kumar said.
Kumar added people of the country were seeing the entire show of favouritism played out at the Centre and were "gripped by pessimism" on governance matters due to it. He also pointed out that the abrasive words and language used by BJP leaders and Union Ministers in Bihar portrayed that they were unnerved at the political situation emerging in the state before the Bihar polls.
"The BJP is nervous and it is seen in the kind of words, language and style of speaking used by its leaders and ministers. I suggested one of its departmental ministers to stop the mobile call drop. He started speaking so many things about me that people have started calling him 'call drop minister'," Kumar said.
Asked about what strategy he will adopt to counter the BJP in the forthcoming assembly elections, Kumar said there was "no fight as they (BJP) didn't exist anywhere" in the state. Poking fun at the BJP for celebrating International Yoga Day on such a large scale, the Bihar Chief Minister said, "Yoga is not a thing to show-off. It should be practiced by a person on his own."
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