Patna,(BiharTimes): Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is no more speaking anything in favour of demonetization. Instead he is repeatedly teasing the Narendra Modi government for the long queues outside ATMs and banks as ‘notebandi’ has been done without any homework or preparedness.
Whether while addressing Janata Dal (United) leaders and workers at a workshop on liquor ban at Haj Bhawan in Patna on Dec 13 or in Supaul on Dec 15 he drew parallel between the prohibition, which he claims had been imposed after doing the necessary homework and demonetization which has been implemented in shoddy manner forcing people to line up outside ATMs and banks.
He would also refer to the Right To Public Grievance Redress Act, which has been enacted some times back. He said there are no long queues of people at public grievance redress centres like at the ATMs and banks.
As if that was not enough on December 16, three of Janata Dal (United)’s spokesmen wrote a letter to the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Patna Circle, Syed Tariq Ahmad, demanding an inquiry into the purchase of land by the Bharatiya Janata Party in 31 districts of Bihar just prior to the demonetization on November 8.
All these steps are a pointer to the fact that he is now gradually turning up the heat on the BJP. On December 16 itself former JD(U) president Sharad Yadav was among the leaders of opposition parties who called on President Pranab Mukherjee. This was a conscious decision of the party as Sharad could
have skipped as leaders of SP, BSP, DMK, NCP, CPI and CPI(M) did not take part in it.
A day earlier on Dec 15 diplomat-turned-Janata Dal (United)’s spokesman, Pawan Verma, said his party would review its stand on demonetisation after December 30 deadline set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi expires. He also questioned the shoddy manner in which the whole exercise was undertaken.
Notwithstanding initial contradictions within Janata Dal (United) it is now clear that the party chief Nitish Kumar is gradually shifting his position.
According to JD(U) sources leaders like K C Tyagi and Pawan Verma were instrumental in influencing Nitish to adopt a different policy. Earlier, he was more guided by the advice of journalist-turned-MP, Harivansh, who also wrote on the issue of demonetization.
So the man about whom media wrote so much about ‘ghar wapsi’ to NDA is now slowly drifting towards the line adoped by alliance partner RJD and Congress.
Was it a mistake committed in the initial days or was it a ploy to keep everybody guessing. Only JD(U)’s present chief can answer.
