Prime Minister Narendra Modi was addressing a rally in Bihar's Jehanabad district today.
With the sting video of a senior Bihar minister allegedly accepting bribe coming out, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal for insulting the legacy of anti-corruption leader and socialist icon, Jayaprakash Narayan.
"This was done by those who used to stake claim to JP's legacy. Such insult to JP should have never been done... As long as the BJP was a part of the government, there was no such sting, no such corruption. But ever since he (Nitish Kumar) joined hands with that great man (Lalu Prasad), who has expertise in such things, it has begun to happen," said PM Modi.
In a big embarrassment for the state government, a day before the first phase of Bihar polls, a sting video surfaced yesterday showing senior minister Awadhesh Prasad Kushwaha allegedly accepting bribe after which he had to resign.
Seeking to blunt the good governance pitch of Mr Kumar, who is also the chief ministerial candidate of the anti-BJP grand alliance, PM Modi referred to the sting video as his opponents paying homage to the socialist leader on his 113th birth anniversary yesterday.
He said, "it is for you to see how those who called themselves his disciples, had come into politics following in his footsteps, and kept on taking his name day and night, observed JP's anniversary here".
Addressing an election rally in Jehanabad, hotbed of Bihar's caste politics, PM Modi also reminded the electorate about those in power when the firebrand and Other Backward Classes (OBC) leader Jagdev Prasad, popularily called the 'Lenin of Bihar' was mysteriously killed in 1974.
"When did the killing of Jagdev Babu happen? Jagdev ji fought for the deprived and the have nots... Jagdev babu was a minister but he was murdered. Who were the people sitting in the government then faced allegations. The voice of the Dalits and the deprived was stifled then," he said.
The Prime Minister is the star campaigner for the BJP led National Democratic Alliance, and has been repeatedly targeting the grand alliance of the JD(U), RJD and Congress for neglecting development of the state for the past 60 years.