CPI defends Kanhaiya Kumar’s meeting with Nitish aide

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 16

The Communist Party of India (CPI) was on Tuesday hard-pressed to defend its young leader Kanhaiya Kumar’s meeting with Cabinet Minister in Bihar and a key political aide of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The party rubbished speculations of Kumar possibly joining the ruling JD(U) in the state.

Kanhaiya Kumar, also a former JNUSU president, had met the Minister Ashok Chaudhary who is a senior JD(U) leader, at the latter’s residence in Patna, on Sunday.

CPI head D Raja said the speculations in Kumar joining the JD(U) are unfounded.

“Even, we in the national Capital meet Union Ministers,” Raja said, adding that leaders cutting across party lines do meet Ministers regarding people’s problems.

“Kanhaiya Kumar is far too much wedded to Communist ideology to even think of joining any other political outfit,” Raja told Tribune.

Subsequently, the CPI stated that Kumar along with a CPI MLA Suryakant Paswan had met Chaudhary to discuss some people’s issues and development works in his assembly constituency.

“CPI condemns the mala fide and mischievous intentions of some sections of the media to malign the CPI and Kanhaiya Kumar,” the party stated.

Kumar had raised eyebrows in political circles by meeting the JD(U) leader.

He was reportedly miffed after the CPI National Council in its meeting, held in Hyderabad last months, censured him for misbehaving with party’s Bihar office secretary.

Reports suggest he was also unhappy with his party for having aligned with the RJD in the last Assembly elections in Bihar.

Kumar had unsuccessfully contested from Begusarai constituency in Bihar against Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh in the 2019 General Election. He is credited with the view that the RJD put up a nominee which led to his defeat in the election.