Nitish accuses BJP of "clandestinely" helping CM Manjhi

Patna, Feb 16: Accusing BJP of "clandestinely" helping Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi to trigger chaos in Bihar, senior JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar asked the saffron party to come out in open support of Manjhi.

"Instead of clandestinely helping Manjhi, BJP should announce open support to him," Kumar said. The new JD(U) Legislature Party leader alleged that it was BJP's "game plan" to trigger chaos in Bihar by propping up a minority government of dissidents led by Manjhi.

He further alleged that BJP was trying to engineer violence during trust vote on February 20 to prepare ground for imposition of President'S rule. Kumar said the party "acted on time" (decision to remove Manjhi) as after two-three months they could have been rendered with no option but to "rue the devastation".

NItish admitted that time and again he has faced "problems" from people close to him, but said he should not be blamed for it. "Dosh bharosha karne wala ka nahi hai balki bharosha ke sath vishwaghat karne wale ka hai (It is not the fault of a person who reposes faith in somebody, but of the person who betrays with the faith)," he said.

"Such things happened with him so many times and I know this one (from Manjhi) is not the last, and more such event will happen in future too," Kumar alleged. "People gain stature while being with me and later part company and start attacking me," he claimed, adding, "now I have adjusted to this."

Kumar was apparently hinting about his soured relationship with close lieutnants like Upendra Kushwaha, now Union Minister of State for HRD, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, rebel JD(U) MLA Gyanendra Singh Gyanoo. He said he held no grudge against them and take it as might be due to his "fate".

On BJP playing "dalit card" against him, Kumar said its their "illusion" as it would pay them no political benefit because people could see their design.

Kumar charged Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi with pushing Bihar to a situation of "instability" by giving 14 days to Manjhi to prove his majority. This he said was in sharp contrast to his views when he and other leaders had met him in Raj Bhawan on February 9 and urged him to call a special session of Assembly before February 20, so that a new government could prepare his speech to the joint session of Bihar Legislature on February 20 and give shape to the state budget.

PTI