Bihar 'grand alliance' trying to divert attention by raising Dadri: BJP

New Delhi: BJP on Saturday accused the alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress of trying to divert the attention from the issue of development by raking up incidents like Dadri in the Bihar assembly election campaign.

Hitting back at the 'grand alliance' for its criticism of the Prime Minister for his 'shaitan' remarks at rallies, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu said such remarks were first made by RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and not Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and asserted development and good governance were the two main agendas of BJP in Bihar.

"Our agenda for Bihar election is only development and the state badly needs good governance. Development without good governance will not be fruitful and these two are important.

"Those who have suffered 'jungle raj' in Bihar should know that it is not an allegation of BJP or Modi. Nitish, Lalu and others used this term against each other earlier. We are not making any provocations, they themselves used remarks like 'shaitan'. And now they are levelling allegations against BJP and Modi," Naidu said.

He said that the atmosphere in Bihar was in favour of NDA and the entire country wants to be with Narendra Modi. Everywhere, the agenda is development and Bihar is ready to support Modi, he said.

"They (grand alliance) want to divert the issue of development by mentioning incidents like Dadri. But the platform for it is different. There are different issues in Bihar election including backwardness of the state and those who are responsible for it. They are trying to divert and dilute the issue of development," he said.

Naidu questioned JD(U) over its joining hands with Congress, "which imposed Emergency, sent lakhs of people jail and even attacked JP (Jayaprakash Narayan)" in the Bihar polls.

"Leaders from JD(U) compromising with such a party (Congress) and sitting in their lap, is it justified? The way some of JD(U) are talking outside is because of utter frustration," he said.

In an apparent dig at Raghuvansh Prasad's recent remark that sages too used to have beef earlier, Naidu said, "Now is the time to discuss how much development in Bihar has taken place in last 15 years of Lalu's Government and how much in the BJP-JD(U) rule in the state."

"After losing elections, he (Raghuvansh) may relax and read and discuss the Puranas, history, sages, Mahrshi," he said.