Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad at the Swabhiman Rally in Patna
The NCP today was critical of the Swabhiman rally, addressed by JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance, saying that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's demand for special category status was meant at "covering up the failures" during his 10-year rule.
Speaking to PTI, NCP leader Tariq Anwar said development promises made by the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi combine fall flat in view of the fact that Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar have been ruling Bihar for the last 25 years, and yet nothing much has happened.
NCP parted ways with the alliance after it was given just three of the total 243 seats to contest from for the Bihar Assembly elections.
Mr Anwar further said that the kind of language used by the leaders during the 'Swabhiman rally' at the historic Gandhi Maidan was "regrettable" to say the least.
"The rally saw naked dance of casteism. I had never seen such language being used earlier," he remarked.
Mr Anwar claimed that there was negligible participation of minorities at the rally as they had seen through the game of the leaders who, he said, only proclaimed secularism to seek votes, but did not share power with them.