Modi repeats quota remark, Nitish warns he may lose India

Astonished at Modiji’s brazen use of divisive language. In his desperation to win the losing battle of Bihar, I’m afraid he might lose India

— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) October 30, 2015

Targeting Nitish Kumar for calling him an outsider and starting a ‘Bahri vs Bihari’ debate, Modi told a well-attended rally in Muzaffarpur: “It is the people of Bihar who contributed to NDA’s win last year and made me Prime Minister. Isn’t Bihar part of Hindustan? Am I the prime minister of Pakistan or Bangladesh or Sri Lanka… Madam Soniaji also lives in Delhi. Will Nitish Kumar also call her an outsider.”

He urged the crowds to vote the NDA to power in the state: “If a scooter falls into a ditch, a few can take it out. But when it falls into a well, you need a tractor and a powerful engine to take it out. You have given us an engine by giving us power at the Centre. You have to give us another engine, a victory in Bihar.”

Referring to a Bihar minister caught on camera accepting money, Modi said: “Nitish Kumar talks of confiscating property of the corrupt and opening schools in it. Did he take action against his minister? Laluji is also a convict in a corruption case. Did Nitish confiscate his property? In fact, there has been underhand dealing between Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad.”

He alleged that during Lalu’s tenure as chief minister, a person who bought a new car in Bihar had to pay “hafta” to hoodlums.

His opponents, the Prime Minister said, could target him on political issues but not one could ever question his integrity or of having engaged in corruption of even a single rupee.

He had the young in the crowd cheering when he said “the youth of Bihar don’t need taabiz (amulets) but laptops” and “they now seek accountability”. He said his six-point development mantra was simple: bijli, sadak, paani, padhai, kamaai, dawaai (power supply, roads, water supply, education, jobs, health).

He promised a National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology and an LPG project in Muzaffarpur. He also announced a four-lane Ganga bridge, parallel to the existing Mahatma Gandhi Setu connecting Patna to north Bihar.

At another rally in Gopalganj, Modi said Nitish, in a speech in Parliament in 2005, had spoken about quota for a “particular community” — a reference to Muslims.

“Nitish made his intentions clear way back on August 24, 2005. They lost cool when I alleged that they want to steal away 5 per cent of reservation from the quota given to SCs, STs, OBCs and EBCs and give to a particular community,” he said.

Nitish Kumar hit back with a tweet: “Astonished at Modiji’s brazen use of divisive language. In his desperation to win the losing battle of Bihar, I am afraid he might lose India.” He did not elaborate but his response came after Modi attacked him at the two rallies, especially on the issue of quota for “a particular community”.

[With PTI inputs]