Patna,(BiharTimes): He did not say: “Time is the best healer.” Instead he said: “Samay Balwan hai” (Time is strong or powerful).
After handing over a cheque of Rs five crore to chief minister Nitish Kumar for the flood relief works in Bihar on Thursday Gujarat revenue minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama gave––what many felt––a politically loaded statement.
When asked by newsmen to comment––as Nitish Kumar had returned Rs five crore which was donated for flood hit people of Kosi region in 2008––the minister summed up the whole story in just three words.
As reported times without number on June 19, 2010 Nitish Kumar returned Rs five crore donated by the Gujarat government after August 2008 devastating flood in Kosi region which swept thousands of human being and cattle. The chief minister did so after some newspapers carried the Gujarat government advertisments on June 12, 2010 highlighting the help given to the people of Bihar. The same day another advertisement showed Nitish and the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi hand in hand. All the top BJP leaders were then present in Patna on June 12-13, 2010 to attend party’s national executive. Nitish first cancelled the dinner for them on June 12 and a week later returned Rs five crore to the Gujarat government.
This created a grave political crisis and the NDA was on the verge of collapse.
However, the BJP leaders soon indulged in damage limitation exercise and the alliance survived. The JD(U)-BJP alliance succeeded in winning the Assembly election later the same year.
Ever since then Nitish’s action has become a butt of joke.
He tried to checkmate Narendra Modi, but the latter continued to grow ‘balwan’ (strong or powerful). The Gujarat minister’s Thursday remark said it all.
Analysts are of the view that some BJP leaders miss no opportunity in rubbing salt into the wound of JD(U).
