Nitish Kumar made a big mistake in assuming me as a puppet: CM Manjhi

Patna: Former CM Nitish Kumar on Friday got a befitting reply from the Chief Minister of Bihar Jitan Ram Manjhi when he in order to clarify his stand reverted back and said the allegations against him were being made in order to pressurise him to step down before the trust vote.

Hitting back at Nitish Kumar, Manjhi said that he was made the CM to be used as a puppet in Nitish’s hands. He said that he was hurt by the attitude of his mentor Nitish Kumar and was paying a price for working in favor of the party and for the development of the state. Peeved by his mentor’s spate of accusations against him for indulging in horse-trading to win the trust of MLAs he refuted and said that he lacked resources to lure them. Countering the charges he said that Nitish Kumar was the master of the game as he spent lakhs on MLAs who were taken to Delhi.

“I am a poor man I don’t have the resources to indulge in such activities, Mr. Nitish Kumar is the master of the game not me and the question of stepping down does not arise I will face the trust vote on 20 February as per the norms I stand determined and I am confident that I will win”. Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said in Patna.

Expressing his anger over the series of accusations against him CM Manjhi didn’t chew words to corner his political tormentor Nitish Kumar. He slammed Mr. Kumar saying that he had wanted to use him as a puppet and a rubber stamp when he made him the chief minister of the state.  While replying to Mr. Kumar’s Thursday evening statement in which he had said that Manjhi turned out to be a big setback for him, he said that Nitish Kumar had made the biggest mistake by choosing him to lead Bihar.

“Mr. Nitish Kumar made a big mistake by choosing me, he had thought I being a maha dalit would not object to any misdeeds and would behave as puppet but he was wrong, I didn’t sell my soul to reach here. I am upright and have all the right and might to deliver. I worked on his guidelines but I worked strictly”, CM Manjhi said.

He further added “ Nitish Kumar wanted me to step down but he used Sharad Yadav who asked me to resign and  make way for Nitish Kumar, I had told him and later on said that same thing to Mr. Kumar that if he wanted me to step down he should say it directly as he made me the chief minister. I had objected to his silence he told him to stop behaving like Bhishm Pitamah whose silence had led to Mahabharat”.

Playing his dalit cards well on Friday he said that his community had come closer to the party and the mahadalits would have stood together if Nitish Kumar wouldn’t have succumbed to his advisers who always used him for their own benefits. He without taking any names indicated that there were several ministers close to Mr. Kumar who were indulging in corrupt practices while giving out tenders and off late middlemen were frequently being seen in the ministries which hampered the work of the development.

“I became their target because I started objecting to the involvements of middlemen who often lured people in ministries by offering big money in lieu of work. Did I do any wrong if I wanted to work for the development of the state and the development of backwards I am the chief minister and I wanted to work in my style. I objected to the corruption”, he said

He thanked the governor for accepting his demands for floor test on 20 February and said he would meet him again in couple of days time to request him to allow secret ballot. He said he had the support of MLAs from all the parties.

“Nitish Kumar’s hunger for power had led the state towards a crisis, I am thankful to the governor that he accepted our demands for the trust vote on the floor of the house and very soon we will again meet him and request him to allow secret voting during the trust vote”, CM Manjhi said. He further said “ I stand like a wrestler and would continue to fight without thinking of the results”.