Nitish slams Modi development model, says poor eating bread-salt

Patna, Nov 3: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday questioned the "much hyped" development model of Prime minister Narendra Modi, saying poor people have been forced to eat 'namak-roti' (bread with salt) without dal.

"What kind of development, and development model is this in which the poor have been forced to eat namak-roti minus dal," Nitish Kumar asked at an election rally in Darbhanga district, as campaigning for the fifth and final phase of assembly polls ended.

As many as 57 of the total of 243 seats will go to the polls on November 5.

The Janata Dal-United leader said the poor have been hit hard by the rising food prices and questioned Modi's silence on the issue.

"When pulses are selling at Rs.200 per kg and mustard oil has crossed Rs.120 and other essential commodities are beyond the reach of the poor man's pocket, why is Modi silent," he asked.

Nitish Kumar said his vision of 'vikas' is development with justice.

"If the poor have been left in the lurch and forced to eat bread without pulses, it is not development."

Nitish Kumar said BJP leaders and Modi himself have been talking about the Gujarat model of development but Gujarat has the largest population of women with malnutrition.

"What is the use of such development model where the largest population of women are malnourished?" he asked.

He said development should reach all and it should be inclusive, and that Modi has failed to fulfil any of the promises he made during the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

IANS