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Patna,(BiharTimes): The love hate relationship between Nitish Kumar and Thackerays––Bal, Uddhav and Raj––took a new turn on Wednesday when the former expressed surprise at Shiv Sena executive president’s comments in Saamna that the outfit would not support Bihar chief minister as NDA’s prime ministerial candidate for protesting the arrest of an accused by Mumbai police from Bihar.
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Talking to reporters in Patna Nitish dubbed Uddhav Thackeray’s statement amazing (adbhut bayan) and blasted him for saying that his party would not support Nitish for defending a “traitor”––the youth arrested by Mumbai police from Sitamarhi.
Kaun samarthan mang raha hai (Who is asking for support), was how Nitish asked Uddhav. “I am not in the race for NDA’s prime ministerial candidate,” he said.
As both Janata Dal (United) and Shiv Sena, along with Akali Dal, are the oldest alliance partner of the BJP and the relationship among the leaders of these four constituents of the NDA very cordial the latest war of words have come as a big surprise. Till now Bal and Uddhav were not so critical of Nitish. The latter too had problem with only Raj Thackeray. But this time the family has closed the rank to attack Nitish on the issue of the arrest of youth.
Political observers are of the view that this has something to do with Maharashtra politics too. While Shiv Sena is a major constituent of the NDA, Raj has a very good personal equation with Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, another politician said to be in the race for the post of Prime Minister.
If Uddhav’s Shiv Sena would not support Nitish then whom is it going to support? This is the million dollars questions now doing the rounds in political circle.
It is now being felt in Bihar too that Nitish is taking the wordy duel too far when there is absolutely no scope for it.
“All these statements about Abdul Qadir Asnari’s arrest being made by Nitish are meant to befool Muslims. But Muslims are not going to be carried away by such cheap rhetoric. They know that Nitish and Thackerays are indulging in shadow boxing for their own political end,” a political observer, who wished not to be quoted told BiharTimes.
“After all, earlier this year Nitish went to Mumbai to attend Bihar Diwas celebration after one of the Janata Dal (United) MLC, Dinesh Chandra Thakur, sought permission on his behalf from Raj Thackeray. Not only that. The Bihar chief minister could say nothing about Bihar, but ended up praising Maharashtra there. What moral right Nitish now has to criticize the Maharashtra chief minister, Prithviraj Chauhan,” he asked.
It needs to be recalled that Nitish took exception to Maharashtra counterpart’s reported comments in which he had accused Nitish of indulging in cheap politics over the arrest of a person by the Mumbai police from Bihar.
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