Double engine keeps derailing in Bihar, Mallikarjun Kharge targets Nitish Kumar

Aksheev Thakur

New Delhi, April 19

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday took a dig at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, calling him “a man of no principles”.

Addressing a gathering at Katihar in Bihar, he said in the last 10 years of NDA rule, Bihar remained deprived of development. Kharge used the analogy of a train to target the BJP’s unstable alliance with Kumar’s JDU. He said the double engine government of BJP-JDU keeps derailing in Bihar. The Congress has fielded Tariq Anwar from the Katihar Lok Sabha constituency.

“The so-called double engine in Bihar meets with frequent accidents, causing the train to derail. Our ally, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav often says that chacha (Nitish Kumar) has run away. My advice to him is that he must not agree to align with his uncle anymore, let the uncle run away. Kumar has no ideology and principles. He changes allies as per his convenience,” Kharge alleged.

The Congress president claimed the BJP ministers had given statements on changing the Constitution. “Modi recently came to Bihar and said the Opposition is playing politics on the matter. Perhaps Modi did not listen to the statements of his RSS chief and BJP-RSS leaders. The BJP-RSS leaders, MPs and candidates are continuously asking to give them a majority so that they can change the Constitution. This election is about saving the Constitution,” Kharge said.

He alleged the BJP was running away from real issues like inflation and unemployment. He said the BJP was toppling elected governments in states by using money power and misuse of enforcement agencies.

“What has Bihar got in the 10 years of the NDA rule? There is no factory in Bihar. Labourers from Bihar migrate to other cities for jobs. Demonetisation, GST and Agniveer have destroyed the nation. While the PM claims ‘Modi ki guarantee’, name one guarantee he fulfilled. He came to Bihar and declared that a package of Rs 1.25 lakh crore would be given, where is the package,” he said.

Kharge also addressed a rally in adjoining Kishanganj where party MP Mohammad Javed is aiming a hat-trick. Katihar and Kishanganj will go to the polls in the second phase on April 26.