‘JP insulted on birthday’: Modi picks on ‘bribed’ minister

A video had surfaced allegedly showing Excise Minister Awadhesh Kushwaha accepting Rs 4 lakh from individuals not identified. Nitish Kumar later fired him while the JD(U) withdrew his candidature. “I saw it on TV when I returned from Mumbai. Four lakh rupees! On JP’s birthday! He would not have been insulted so much, ever,” Modi said in Jehanabad.

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Modi seemed to be implying that the JD(U)’s alliance with the RJD was the cause of this scandal: “There were no corruption problems until they had the government here. When they joined people who have a history of doing this and who have been slapped by the court, trouble has begun.”

Modi then extended similar allegations to the Congress, mentioning Jagdev Prasad, the socialist leader who was murdered in 1974. “Whose government was in place then? Who were mentioned as having a hand in his murder? Jagdevbabu was a minister in the same government and yet he was murdered,” Modi said. He continued by asking Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar, “How do you sit alongside that Congress, which ended the voice of the deprived?”

At a press conference Saturday, Nitish had claimed that the Bihar government would not see any of the money in the package announced by the Centre as it was to be used for central schemes. The CM had also said that he wants a debate on development, but claimed that the PM was running away. Modi replied to Nitish Monday and, in doing so, also detailed a new set of data.

“I gave Bihar a 1.65-lakh package. Of this, Rs 1.25 lakh crore is for new development, Rs 40,000 crore is for ongoing projects,” the prime minister said.

“Look what kind of a government you have. If such a government is around, I wonder what will happen to the Rs 1.65 lakh crore,” Modi said. He went on to claim that the Bihar government had not sent expenditure reports totalling Rs 1,800 crore relating to education and health. The PM said the state had failed to spend Rs 5,000 of the Rs 9,100 sent to Bihar last year.

The PM then went on to imprint his package’s worth on his audience. “Aap batayenge kitna? Kitna? Zara boliye, kitna? Ek lakh painsat hazaar crore. Boliye, zara. Ek lakh painsat hazaar crore. Ek lakh painsat hazaar crore,” said Modi, with the crowd repeating the amount after him each time.

He brought up the removal as CM of Jitan Ram Manjhi, contesting from the district.

With PTI in Bhabua