Nitish hits back, says PM distorting facts

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar challenges Narendra Modi to a debate on development, says the Prime Minister is changing his caste profile to suit BJP’s electoral needs

PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “changing his caste profile to suit BJP’s electoral needs” and “distorting facts”.

Daring Modi for a debate on development, Kumar said it was unbecoming of a PM to so “blatantly play up” his caste profile. “From a development driver, he became OBC and now he is calling himself an EBC. We don’t know if Gujarat has EBCs. Don’t be surprised if he becomes a Dalit also in course of polls.”

On the PM’s statement that the JD-U, RJD and Congress were conspiring to take away 5% reservation of SC, ST and OBCs to give it to a particular community, Kumar said it was absurd and “perverted casteist approach”.

The chief minister said that RSS was honest in airing its ideology on reservation, while the BJP was not. “If the PM has guts, he should condemn the RSS chief’s statement. The truth is that the BJP is waiting for the day it has enough numbers in the Rajya Sabha so that it could tamper with the Constitution,” he added.

Kumar also hit out at the PM for raising issues of development, industrialisation and power in his speeches. “The PM should give his report card of the last 17 months. Even in industries, Bihar has grown. If big ticket investments have not come, it is precisely why we are asking for special category status for Bihar so that big industries could feel encouraged coming here,” he said.