File photo: Jitan Ram Manjhi (left) with Nitish Kumar. (Press Trust of India)
New Delhi:
Taking a dig at former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan today claimed that current Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi "is better" than his predecessor.
"Manjhi is better than Nitish Kumar but no one allows him to work... if Nitish has the guts, then remove him or announce him as their chief ministerial candidate in next assembly elections... Manjhi was made Chief Minister to tackle Paswan; Manjhi was made Chief Minister on contract. Now they want to defame him so that people will say Nitish was better compared to him," Mr Paswan said.
The LJP chief said that Nitish Kumar was behind the mechanisations to remove Mr Manjhi.
"Why should he (Manjhi) be removed? Because he comes from poor family or he is Mahadalit? The question should be asked to Nitish Kumar who made him the Chief Minister. Why is Manjhi making irresponsible statements? Nitish Kumar is behind this. Manjhi is not like Nitish Kumar who says something and does something else," Paswan said.
Mr Paswan also said that Mr Manjhi successfully had this year's stampede in Patna investigated whereas Nitish Kumar didn't do anything when similar incidents had taken place during his tenure.
Replying to questions on Congress terming Narendra Modi government as U-turn sarkar, Mr Paswan said, "Since this Prime Minister has arrived, the stature of our country is touching the sky. Today, the youth is confident about their future, everywhere cleanliness drive is going on, inflation is under control whereas government has just been in power for six months only."
"Manjhi is better than Nitish Kumar but no one allows him to work... if Nitish has the guts, then remove him or announce him as their chief ministerial candidate in next assembly elections... Manjhi was made Chief Minister to tackle Paswan; Manjhi was made Chief Minister on contract. Now they want to defame him so that people will say Nitish was better compared to him," Mr Paswan said.
The LJP chief said that Nitish Kumar was behind the mechanisations to remove Mr Manjhi.
"Why should he (Manjhi) be removed? Because he comes from poor family or he is Mahadalit? The question should be asked to Nitish Kumar who made him the Chief Minister. Why is Manjhi making irresponsible statements? Nitish Kumar is behind this. Manjhi is not like Nitish Kumar who says something and does something else," Paswan said.
Mr Paswan also said that Mr Manjhi successfully had this year's stampede in Patna investigated whereas Nitish Kumar didn't do anything when similar incidents had taken place during his tenure.
Replying to questions on Congress terming Narendra Modi government as U-turn sarkar, Mr Paswan said, "Since this Prime Minister has arrived, the stature of our country is touching the sky. Today, the youth is confident about their future, everywhere cleanliness drive is going on, inflation is under control whereas government has just been in power for six months only."
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