Oppn calls it breach of faith

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 27

Stung by Bihar developments in the last two days, BSP chief Mayawati today said Nitish Kumar’s walking out of the grand alliance to form government with the BJP-led NDA was a betrayal of the faith of the people. Other Opposition parties termed Nitish’s decision as hasty which would only “strengthen communal forces.”

Immediately after Nitish and BJP leader Sushil Modi were administered oath today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Congratulations to @ NitishKumar ji & @ SushilModi ji; Looking forward to working together for Bihar’s progress & prosperity,” much to the Opposition’s chagrin.

Mayawati said the huge mandate received by the Nitish-led grand alliance (comprising JD-U, RJD and Congress) in the Assembly elections two years back was one for secularism. She claimed the Bihar events showed the BJP’s top leadership was misusing the official machinery to throttle democracy. “It is an insult to the Opposition.”

Mayawati, who quit her Rajya Sabha seat alleging she was not allowed to speak on Dalit issues, said the saffron forces would be “humbled” by the people alone. They would not be brought down by parties, but by the “communal” agenda and “despotic” rule.

CPI chief Sudhakar Reddy said Nitish should not have walked out of the alliance merely on the basis of “politically motivated” graft charges against his deputy Tejaswi Yadav.

The Opposition had hoped to stitch a grand anti-BJP alliance in the run-up to the 2019 General Election, with Nitish in an important role. All such hope has now been dashed. The Bihar setback comes close on the heels of BJP’s success in installing Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan.