Patna,(BiharTimes): Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday called Congress as an “umbrella” organisation of secular forces, which the country needs. At the same time he called the LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan a “gentleman.” Interestingly, only on Monday Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar called Paswan a gentleman.
Lalu, however, hastened to add that some people around Ram Vilas are not allowing him to take the right decision. He was thus referring to the upper caste leaders like Suraj Bhan Singh and Rama Singh, who do not want tie up with RJD.
He once again accused Nitish Kumar of hobnobbing with BJP all along and was now claiming to be secular.
Speaking to news agency PTI in New Delhi Lalu said: “My relationship with Ram Vilas Paswan has not soured at all. We talk with each other regularly...I have never said that we will not go for a tie-up with Ram Vilas Paswan’s party. Paswan is a gentleman, good human being. But there are some people around him that do not allow him to take a decision on his own. There are some people, who have a different thinking.”
“There is no feeling of disrespect towards him from my side. Our tie-up was with his party earlier also and will remain now as well...My target is communal forces. I am not focusing on what one or the other leader is saying. We will stop communal forces in Bihar like we had done in past.”
He further explained that when he uses the word we, "it is not only RJD. It is also taking together Congress and yes LJP too. All the three parties must come together to stop the communal and fascist forces.”
Lalu’s response came two days after Paswan threw the ball in Congress court, saying it is for that party to decide whether the secular alliance in Bihar will include RJD or JD(U).
The RJD supremo said “Nitish Kumar is not a factor in Bihar...Lalu cannot go with Nitish, a man who associated for so long with a party which fanned communalism and riots...He (Kumar) remained with BJP for six years at Centre and nine years in state."After associating for so long with a party that fanned communalism, he is now trying to stave off the stigma by projecting his separation from NDA as
some sort of Ganga Snan (bath in the holy Ganges)...Can Lalu go with Nitish Kumar? No it is impossible.”
Lalu said “Congress is a very big umbrella organisation for secular forces. It has a big role in halting the march of communal forces. Congress is a party, whose roots are spread across the country. It should not be underestimated.
“Merely because it is not responding to the continuous abuses by others does not mean it is weak. Gentleness is being misused. This is no flattery I am doing. The country needs Congress now. Did any other government worked the way UPA-I and UPA-II did. There is no possibility for the BJP in Bihar.”
“In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the fight is again between communal and secular forces and the communal forces are again trying to bring in the same agenda...Fascist forces are trying to divide the nation. BJP has nothing to do with Hindutva, it is only interested in coming to power by invoking Hindu Rasthra.
“Others may or may not understand this design. I understand it. I will try to meet this challenge with whatever might I have at my command. I come from a state, where aware secular persons live... We had stopped the horse of communalism in Bihar earlier also. Bihar will do it this time as well. There will be no big possibility for BJP in Bihar,” he claimed.