'Can Exit Whenever He Wants': Nitish Kumar Hits Back At Pavan Verma

Making the personal conversational details between the two leaders public, Verma asserted, "I remember you confessing to me in private how the current leadership in the BJP party has humiliated you. You maintained, on more than one occasion, that the BJP is leading India into a 'dangerous space'."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi(L) shake hands with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (R) during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) 'Sankalp' rally in Patna in Patna. FILE PIC/AFP.

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday broke his silence over party leader Pawan Verma questioning JDU’s alliance with the BJP for upcoming Delhi polls. Speaking to reporters this morning, the chief minister said Verma can join any political party he wants. “If anyone has any issues then the person can discuss it within party or at party meetings, but such kind of public statements are surprising. He can go and join any party he likes, my best wishes.” JD-U General Secretary Verma on Tuesday dropped a letter bomb exposing the cracks in the party. He wrote: "In recent times, this is the first time that we will be broadening and extending our party's association with the BJP through a formal electoral alliance, beyond Bihar. I must confess that I am deeply perplexed by this development, and look to you for ideological clarity." The two parties are fighting the Delhi polls together as the BJP has given two seats to its Bihar ally. To add to Kumar’s discomfiture, Verma questioned his flip flops. "When you were leading the 'Mahagathbandhan', you had openly made a call for 'RSS-Mukt Bharat'. These views, articulated for a sustained period, are a matter of public record," he reminded. Making the personal conversational details between the two leaders public, Verma asserted, "I remember you confessing to me in private how the current leadership in the BJP party has humiliated you. You maintained, on more than one occasion, that the BJP is leading India into a 'dangerous space'."

#WATCH Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on JDU leader Pawan Verma's letter to him on CAA&NRC: If anyone has any issues then the person can discuss it within party or at party meetings, but such kind of public statements are surprising. He can go and join any party he likes, my best wishes. pic.twitter.com/qFXgVSWfKu

— ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2020

Flaying Kumar for allying with the BJP in Delhi as many continue to protest over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, the JD-U leader wrote, "If these are your real views, I fail to understand how the JD-U is now extending its alliance with the BJP beyond Bihar, when even long standing allies of the BJP, like the Akali Dal, have refused to do so. This is especially so at a time when the BJP, through the CAA-NPR-NRC combine, has embarked on a massive socially divisive agenda, aimed at mutilating the peace, harmony and stability of the country. Mahatma Gandhi, Lohia, JP - the icons of our party - would have, I strongly believe, unequivocally denounced this agenda, and fought it tooth and nail."

Janata Dal (United) leader Vashishtha Narayan Singh slammed Verma for his comments and in turn questioned his role in building the party in Bihar. (With additional information from IANS)