Bihar’s deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Wednesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was scared of the unity among other parties in Bihar and feared it could be wiped out in the 2024 parliamentary elections.
“This alliance (Grand Alliance in Bihar) is here to stay for long. It will be a never-ending inning to take Bihar forward. It is time for BJP to do introspection as to why it has been left without any alliance partner due to its arrogance. What Nitish Kumar has done after coming with the Grand Alliance is to raise hope for the Opposition in the country,” he said while speaking in favour of the trust vote in the Bihar Assembly amid shouting and protests by BJP members.
Yadav’s party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), returned to power earlier this month when chief minister Nitish Kumar’s party JD(U) snapped ties with BJP and aligned with RJD and other parties to form a Grand Alliance government.
Referring to the CBI raids on RJD leaders since Wednesday morning, Tejaswhi Yadav said these would not cow them down. “I was surprised when a mall in Gurugram was propagated as being mine while I am not even aware of it. What I have gathered is that it is a mall inaugurated by some BJP leader. We know how far they can go. They thrive on building a false narrative against anyone who stands against them. The only formula of BJP is to frighten those who can get frightened and buy those who are up for sale. Unfortunately, in a poor state like Bihar, they could not put a price tag on anyone, as they managed in Maharashtra and other states,” he said.
The RJD leader said the need for a trust vote has arisen because of the blatant distrust of the BJP, which has nothing to show in terms of its report card. “They try to destroy the atmosphere in the country and disturb Opposition governments with the help of their ‘jamai’ (son-in-law) — CBI, ED and Income Tax. What Nitish Kumar did in Bihar is truly historic, as it is a decision to save the democratic fabric of the nation and uphold the Constitution. He has shown the courage only few have shown. I also thank RJD chief Lalu Prasad for creating an opportunity for all the socialist leaders to unite for the sake of the country under trying times,” he said.
Yadav said he hoped for a change of heart in BJP to unitedly work for the progress of Bihar, which has been denied its legitimate claims like special status.
“Anyone with BJP becomes Raja Harishchandra. But once they are out, they become corrupt and incompetent. We want to talk on issues confronting the masses, but BJP wants to shy away from it. There was a case against me in 2017 also, but nothing happened. Now, land for job scam in the Indian Railways has resurfaced. It is the same Railways that earned profit during Lalu Prasad’s tenure. Today, Railways is in loss. When I was on honeymoon, a lookout notice was issued against me, while lakhs of crores have been taken away by friends of BJP and they are outside and also enjoying fund waivers,” he said.
The young deputy CM said that even when he was in the Opposition, CM Nitish Kumar treated him with affection. “He had to leave the BJP, as attempts were being to break his party and impose the saffron ideology on the state, which was unacceptable to him. His decision to sever ties with BJP is historic. The BJP can carry on with raids, but nothing will be able change the course the country is set to take to protect harmony, brotherhood and democratic values,” he said.