Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressing press conference after releasing his party candidate list in Patna on September 23, 2015. (Press Trust of India photo)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special package of Rs 1.25 lakh crore as a betrayal of the people of the state because Modi's mentor RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has disapproved of it.
Bihar is not going to get anything as the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) decides the policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said Mr Nitish Kumar while formally kicking off the campaign of the Grand Alliance of Janata Dal-United (JD-U), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress from Kalyanpur assembly seat in Samastipur district.
Targeting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in his first public address for the Bihar assembly polls, Mr Nitish Kumar said: "RSS chief had disapproved the special package and made it clear that it is not good to give it to any state. After that Bihar is not going to get anything in special package announced by Modi. It is a 'dhokha'(betrayal) with people."
The Prime Minister announced the Rs 1.25 lakh crore package in mid-August, which was then termed by Mr Nitish Kumar as nothing but re-packaging of 87 per cent of old schemes.
Mr Nitish Kumar said the BJP leaders should answer if the RSS chief's remarks on the special package reflect the prime minister's views on the special package for Bihar.
The Chief Minister also blamed the Modi government for failing to "fulfil any promises made to the people till date during the last Lok Sabha polls".
"Modi will not fulfil promises made to people and he will try to change the constitutional provision for reservation to other issues," he said.
"RSS chief has suggested to review reservation policy and BJP cannot ignore it. BJP- led government will change the Constitution to end reservation to block the opportunity for development of the Dalits and backward classes. They will destroy the spirit of the Constitution," the Bihar Chief Minister said.
Stating that the development and formation of the Grand Alliance government was a must for development of Bihar, Mr Nitish Kumar said: "Give me another chance to take forward development and fulfil my promises."
Mr Nitish Kumar, who is a chief ministerial candidate of the Grand Alliance, reiterated that his DNA was similar to the DNA of Bihar. "Tell me, if someone abused me and questioned my DNA, is it not an insult to all of you? After all I am an elected Chief Minister of people of Bihar, whether anyone has a right to say anything against my DNA?"
He said BJP leaders were creating fear by their wrong propaganda about jungle raj. "...For me, rule of law is above everything."