Patna:
A day after he ended a 17-year alliance with the BJP over the prominence conferred upon
Narendra Modi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar responded to allegations of political hypocrisy. As pay-back for the break-up, the BJP has released a video which shows Mr Kumar praising Mr Modi at a public function in 2003, a year after the deadly Gujarat riots.
"I hope that Narendra Modi will not be limited to Gujarat after some time. The country needs his services," Mr Kumar had said then. (
Watch the video here)
At a press conference today, Mr Kumar said, "I was the Railway Minister then in the government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee," Mr Kumar said at a press conference. "I had to go for a lot of government events. At government events, you don't push your party's opinions or agenda. That is not protocol. It is protocol that at these events, you don't attack each other or make public complaints."
On Sunday, Mr Kumar and Sharad Yadav, the president of the Janata Dal United or JD(U), said they cannot remain in partnership with the BJP because it is promoting a leader who is divisive. They did not name Mr Modi, but targeted him by referring to "the growing hegemonic control" of a leader and the "autocratic personality cult" that they described as unacceptable.
Their explanation and repeated referrals to the "growing intolerance to any voice of dissent and moderation" is a huge endorsement of LK Advani, the 85-year-old stalwart of the BJP who had quit all party posts after he was over-ruled, and Mr Modi was appointed chairman of the BJP's election campaign committee.
"The era of Atal-Advani is over... we cannot accept the new order of the BJP," Mr Kumar reiterated today, referring to Mr aDvani and the BJP's iconic leader, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
"They (the BJP) have betrayed their own leaders... how can they accuse us of betrayal?" Mr Kumar asked.