In the first NDA rally since Nitish Kumar's return to the BJP-led alliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday targeted the Congress and the RJD for “using EBC, OBC and Dalits to shield dynastic rule and corruption” while announcing a slew of schemes and projects for Bihar, and promising ample employment options. The PM also praised Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for following Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur's legacy of socialism. “Their socialism is about ‘tushtikaran’ (appeasement), our socialism is that of ‘santushtikaran’ (satisfaction),” said the PM. Nitish said he had left the NDA twice but has now “permanently” returned to the alliance. He also asked the gathering to rise from their seats to welcome the PM, who announced and unveiled projects worth Rs 1.6-lakh crore across India, including worth Rs 27,350 crore for Bihar alone. Targeting ‘socialism’ of the Congress and RJD, the PM said: “Congress and RJD have been using Dalits, deprived and backward to shield dynasty and corruption. What kind of social justice is this that promotes only one family? Their socialism is ‘tushtikaran’ (appeasement) and our socialism is ‘santushtikaran’ (satisfaction)”. “Bihar ne dashkon tak parivarvad dekha hai, parivarvad ka dansh saha hai. Samajik nyay aur parivarvad ek dusre ke ghor virodhi hai (Bihar has witnessed dynastic rule for decades. It has withstood the sting of dynasty rule. Social justice and secularism are diametrically opposed),” said the PM, alleging how Congress and RJD had been using “Dalit, backwards and deprived to shield their dynasty rule and corruption”. Sharing the dais with Nitish for the first time since the JD(U) returned to the NDA in January, Modi said: “Nitish Kumar has been following the legacy of Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur and working for the progress of Bihar.” The Bihar CM, who spoke before the PM, said: “Beech mein idhar udhar chale gaye the, ab permanently yahin aa gaye hain (In between, I had gone here and there but now I am back to NDA fold permanently). Nitish also said that going by the response from the crowd, the NDA would surely cross the 400-seat mark. He also turned to Begusarai MP and Union Minister Giriraj Singh and said: “Giriraj ji and I worked together for Bihar's progress”. PM in West Bengal On Saturday, Modi also visited West Bengal. He said that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has become synonymous with “corruption, atrocities and dynastic politics” and accused the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government of turning “every central scheme into a scam”. Addressing a public meeting at Krishnanagar in Nadia district, PM Modi said: “The people of Bengal gave a huge mandate to the TMC again and again hoping for a better government, but they were deceived every time. Over the years, the TMC has become synonymous with corruption, betrayal, atrocities and dynastic politics. It wants people to remain poor so that its politics and khel (game) continues.”
