PM Modi Brings Bad Luck Wherever He Goes: Nitish Kumar's Close Aide

A key aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday stoked a controversy with the remark that Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought bad luck wherever he went and should be asked to keep off auspicious occasions.

State minister and senior JD(U) leader Shravan Kumar made the sarcastic remark in reply to queries from journalists here, who asked him about some BJP leaders' allegations that the government in Bihar failed to extend a helping hand to workers from the state, who were trapped inside the Uttarkashi tunnel.

"It is wrong to make such a charge against our government. We are sensitive to the plight of the people of the state even if they are in other parts of the country or abroad. Our officials were in touch with authorities concerned and doing whatever was necessary," claimed the minister.

As far as the BJP is concerned, it has "acquired a habit of claiming credit whenever things go right and shirking responsibility when there is a problem", the minister said. He also said, "A case in point was the recent cricket World Cup. Had India won, the entire BJP machinery would have been screaming that it was because of the prime minister's presence that the team achieved the victory. I think now that we have lost, the PM should accept the blame for that as well."

Twisting the knife, the Bihar minister said, "Some people well versed in 'Sanatan Dharma once told me that Narendra Modi brought bad luck wherever he went. So, in my view, the BJP should ask him to avoid attending auspicious gatherings if they want to avoid things going wrong".

Incidentally, the Hindi slang "panauti" had gone viral on Twitter after India lost to Australia in the World Cup finals held at Ahmedabad. A Hindi slang, "panauti", loosely refers to someone who brings bad luck.

A reference to the same by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in an election speech has landed him in a legal wrangle. Meanwhile, when Bihar BJP president Samrat Choudhary's response was sought to Shravan Kumar's diatribe, he said, "JD(U) should realise that the PM is 'ashubh' (inauspicious) for the INDIA alliance and will ensure its defeat".

Referring to the gesture of Modi, who went to the dressing room to console the Indian team after its loss, Choudhary said, "Our PM stands by his people whenever the goings get tough, be it the recent event or the failed Chandrayaan mission some time back".