'One Who Switched Sides Five Times Is The Bihar CM': Amit Shah's Jibe At Nitish Kumar

Amit Shah said that JP worked for the principles without thinking of power throughout his life.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses rally in Bihar (Source: Twitter/@BJP4India)

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday targeted Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saying, that the leaders of Bihar who came out of JP's movement are sitting in the lap of Congress for power today. While addressing a function on the occasion of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan's 120th birth anniversary, organised at a village in Saran district, Shah said that JP worked for the principles without thinking of power throughout his life.

“One who has changed sides as many as five times is the chief minister” was the remark of Shah, who made many indirect references to the JD(U) leader and the latter's alliance with arch-rival Lalu Prasad's RJD, without mentioning either by name.

In a clear reference to the chequered political journey of Kumar, Shah said that he broke away with the Janata Dal to form Samata Party and tied up for a brief period with CPI(ML), before beginning a long partnership with the BJP which ended in 2013. He returned to the NDA in 2017 only to exit five years later.

In his speech that went on for around 15 minutes, Shah recounted at length the various welfare measures undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and guaranteed that it was the BJP that was working as per the way of thinking of "JP", as Jayaprakash Narayan was prevalently referred to, as well as another renowned Gandhian Vinoba Bhave.

In the span of three weeks, it was Shah's second visit to Bihar considered the BJP's principal strategist and who, during his previous trip on September 23-24, had told party workers in Purnea and Kishanganj districts not to lose heart over the loss of power caused by Kumar's sudden exit from the NDA.

Shah, who has reportedly told workers that he will visit Bihar habitually to keep their confidence high, began his speech by encouraging the group to recite "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" in a voice that was "loud enough to send a shiver down the spines of the Mahagathbandhan", the seven-party alliance that currently controls the state.

(With PTI Inputs)