Nitish denies hobnobbing with BJP; attacks Paswan

03 December, New Delhi

Bihar Chief Minister Saturday hit out at Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan for his statement that the JD(U) chief was welcome to the BJP, saying the words of such people who had no stand on anything did not merit any response.

“He is the same Paswan who during his visit to Pakistan identified himself before the country’s President as the person who broke alliance with the BJP after Gujarat riots,” Kumar said during an interaction at the HT Leadership Summit here.

Now, this same person has joined the NDA and was talking like this, he added. The Bihar Chief Minister, who headed an alliance Government with the BJP for about a decade, dismissed all speculations that he was hobnobbing with the BJP, saying everybody was free to say what one liked.

He asserted that the Grand Alliance would last its full term in Bihar.

He sought to clarify that his support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation decision was based on his belief that it was good for the country and a must to unearth black money. Kumar, however, the Prime Minister should also enforce prohibition as it was the liquor sector in which the maximum amount of black money was invested.

Replying to a question, Kumar said at the moment he did not see any serious efforts being made for a non-BJP alliance for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, but it would be good if it happened.