File Photo: Prime Minister Modi with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna (Press Trust of India)
BJP Lawmaker MJ Akbar today hit out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for mocking the Rs 1.25 lakh crore central package for the state asking him to explain as to why the earlier schemes were not implemented by the previous UPA government.
"Nitish Kumar has described the Prime Minister's Rs 1.25 lakh crore package for Bihar as 'repackaging of old schemes' ... instead of questioning (Narendra) Modi, Kumar should explain as to why old package was allowed to stay old and not implemented," he told reporters.
"Were the people of Bihar not entitled to infrastructure development during the previous UPA government?" Mr Akbar asked and stated that the so-called old package never saw the light of the day.
Charging the chief minister with being derisive about the PM's package for Bihar, the senior BJP leader claimed that it was the same Nitish Kumar who had gone over the moon after announcement of Rs 12,000 crore package by the UPA government couple of years ago against the JD(U)'s campaign for special status.
Trashing the chief minister's denouncement of the Bihar package and Mr Akbar said Mr Kumar has lost control over his thought and voice and has become nervous about the outcome of the forthcoming Assembly polls.
On the Samajwadi Party (SP)'s decision to part ways with the grand alliance, he said the development was on expected lines as the constituent parties were "not together with heart and mind".
The grand alliance was a non-starter to begin with as its constituents - RJD, JD(U) and SP - had tried hard for merger which did not take place in the first place forcing these parties to go for alliance which too had fallen apart, Mr Akbar, a veteran journalist, said.
"Let us see what awaits in future as far as the shape of grand alliance is concerned," he said.