BJP, JD(U) skip ally Upendra Kushwaha’s human queue, RJD leaders attend

The presence of state RJD president Ramchandra Purve and the party’s national vice-president Shivanand Tewary in Kushwaha’s human queue outside Miller High School in Patna fuelled speculations of the RLSP chief’s growing proximity to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad. Tewary, however, said the response to Kushwaha’s call was above party lines.

JD (U) and BJP sharply reacted to the presence of RJD leaders, who had boycotted Nitish Kumar’s human chain.

JD (U) leader and Bihar Education Minister Krishna Nandan Verma said: “Kushwahaji is a Union minister and enjoys greater status and clout than me. He should have influenced the Centre to give us additional funds to improve the standard of education .”

JD (U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said there was no question of JD (U) taking part in any political function attended by RJD. “We did not understand the idea behind Kushwaha’s human queue,” he said. BJP leader and agriculture minister Prem Kumar said, “Kushwahaji should follow gathbandhan dharma”.

Kushwaha, however, said: “The presence of RJD leaders should not be seen through political prism. I had given a call above party lines. I follow principles of PM Narendra Modi. I am not bothered about what others say”.