NaMo’s pat on Nitish’s back may pinch SuMo in Bihar
Patna,(BiharTimes): Though it was a religious programme yet the speeches made by the prime minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had political overtone.
This was the first time after demonetization that prime minister visited Bihar. As Nitish had initially backed note ban––though some of his party’s leader was critical of it––Modi, without making any reference to it, was thankful to the Bihar CM.
Actually he was showering praise on Nitish for very good arrangements made for the Prakash Utsav, yet many political observers are of the view, that he went a bit overboard in appreciating Nitish.
If NaMo’s speech is read together with the statements made repeatedly in the last one month by Bihar BJP leader, Sushil Kumar Modi, one can wonder where was the need for applauding Nitish. SuMo has repeatedly been hitting out at the state government for taking away all the credits and ignoring the contributions of the Centre.
The truth is that both the elder and younger Modis have their own political compulsions. Post-demonetization prime minister is in dire need of support at the time when several RSS leaders and Shiv Sena have been attacking him for the bungled demonetization.
So if in this hour of crisis Nitish lent support to him––though even with a rider––it was natural for him to return his thanks. Both Narendra Modi and Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had lighter moments with Nitish on the dais.
Politicians believe in long term investment. So the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Govind Singh was the best occasion for both to play their cards cautiously. At the same time they did not forget that it was acutally a religious occasion and there was no room for politics.
In fact it was Nitish who set the ball rolling. He chose this sacred occasion to highlight the importance of prohibition and referred to the fact that liquor is banned in Gandhi’s land of Gujarat ever since the state came into existence.
The Bihar CM also reminded as to how NaMo as the chief minister of that state made efforts to see to it that liquor is effectively banned. He was actually using this as a stick to bet the Bihar BJP leaders who had been busy in nit-picking over prohibition law in Bihar. SuMo, in particular, misses no opportunity to flay the draconian nature of the new excise law.
But if the prime minister of the country publicly appreciated the move and found no fault with the state government policy, it left the state BJP leader high and dry. But the latter too have a point. As a major opposition party in the state it was bound to raise the misuse of the new law.
Nitish also raised the issue of the centenary year of Champaran movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi.
The 10-day function of the last Sikh Guru did help Nitish grow in stature. Not only he was credited by pilgrims from all over the world for the good arrangements, he got a pat on the back from the prime minister of the country, who otherwise belongs to a rival party.
Need not forget, JD(U) and BJP were friends for 17 long years.
