Nitish slams BJP for hobnobbing with MNS in Maharashtra

Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday slammed BJP for hobnobbing with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in Maharashtra saying the people of Bihar will reject the party's collusive politics of communalism and regional chauvinism.

"Bihar mein hunkar and Maharashtra me abhaar (roar in Bihar and thanks giving in Maharashtra)," Kumar said on a Facebook post while taking potshots at the BJP leadership, including its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for thanking the MNS for deciding against putting up candidates against it in Maharashtra during the general elections.

"It's an insult to Bihar and its people," Kumar said, adding they would oppose it tooth and nail.

The JD (U) leader hit out at his erstwhile ally for providing legitimacy to those trying to divide the country on regional and linguistic lines and said such divisive elements should be discouraged and isolated. Kumar said he was sure that the people of Bihar would reject the crass hobnobbing between communal and regional chauvinists during elections, a remark which invited ire of the former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

In a statement from Purnia, Sushil Modi said it was Kumar who had surrendered before the MNS chief a couple of years ago to make the 'Bihar Day' celebrations in Mumbai "a success".

Kumar had not only taken Thackeray's permission to organise the 'Bihar Day' celebrations in Mumbai, but had also sent his emissary to mollify the MNS chief, Modi said.

"Why did Kumar surrender to Raj Thackeray's diktats? What happened to the Chief Minister's pride then?" the BJP leader said in his statement.