'People of Bihar will not accept Nitish sitting Cong-Lalu lap'

Patna, Aug 28: Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu today lashed out at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar "for sitting in the lap of Congress and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad" for the sake of "political convenience" and said that the people of Bihar will not accept this "unnatural and unethical alliance" during the forthcoming assembly polls.

"I can't digest the fact that JD(U) has shaken hands with the Congress and both Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad sitting together in the lap of Congress, which symbolizes corruption and known for murder of democracy," the senior BJP leader told reporters.

The RJD's alliance with Congress was not surprising as the two parties have been together for a long time, but Nitish Kumar's alliance with the Congress goes against the grain of Jai Prakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia's ethos, Naidu said.

He said only the Bihar Chief Minister can justify his reason for going with the Congress'and added the people of Bihar will not accept an 'unnatural' and 'unethical' alliance comprising the JD(U), Congress and RJD.

Apparently referring to public spat between the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bihar Chief Minister of late, Naidu chastized Nitish Kumar for his confrontationist attitude saying that the state government must have a mindset of cooperation with the Centre.

"It is necessary for the state government to cooperate with the Centre as without its cooperation development of states is not possible," Naidu said in a terse advice to Kumar.

The senior BJP leader also had a dig at the JD(U) saying that the ruling party in Bihar was a divided house and not united one as its name goes and the same has been with the Janata Parivar which has been known for deep division within.

PTI