Patna, Apr 9 (PTI) Citing the example of its Bihar ally Chirag Paswan, who owed his political standing to his late father Ram Vilas Paswan, RJD Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti on Tuesday said that the BJP has no right to speak on “dynastic politics”.
She also charged the BJP with making “below the belt” remarks against her younger sister Rohini Acharya, who is tipped to make her electoral debut from Bihar’s Saran Lok Sabha seat, once represented by their father Lalu Prasad.
In an interview with PTI, the RJD supremo’s eldest daughter claimed that the BJP always attack dynastic politics to deflect public attention from the alleged failures of the NDA government at the Centre as well as in the state.
“How can BJP talk about dynastic politics? The prime minister started his election campaign (in Bihar) for NDA from Jamui,” she said.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan fielded a candidate of his party on behalf of the NDA from the Jamui Lok Sabha constituency.
“The BJP and its leaders seem to have no understanding of the sanctity of the relationship between a father and his daughter. A reason why they keep hitting my sister below the belt,” said Bharti.
She said this when her response was sought to the BJP’s allegation that Prasad gave ticket to Singapore-based Acharya “in return” for a kidney she had donated to her ailing father.
Bharti, who is herself is contesting from Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency as the nominee of ‘Mahagathbandhan’, also bristled at the allegation of BJP state president and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary that Prasad was known to give RJD tickets for a price and he had, hence, “extorted” a kidney from his daughter.
The “biggest extortion racket” around is the electoral bonds, of which the BJP has been the biggest beneficiary, she said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders have no moral right to speak on corruption. Why are they silent on the electoral bonds issue? This (electoral bond) has exposed how the BJP indulged in extortion,” she claimed.
“It appears that central probe agencies—CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the IT—are meant for the opposition leaders only. These agencies are being used to target opposition leaders,” said the RJD leader who earlier lost twice in elections to her father’s former close aide Ram Kripal Yadav who is now in the BJP.
BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are maintaining a stoic silence over the promises they had made to the electorate, she claimed.
“What happened to the promise of providing two crore jobs? What about the majority of the people who are bearing the brunt of the price rise? The BJP leaders must talk about issues like poverty, unemployment and Bihar’s long-standing demand for special status, ” she added.
She also took a swipe at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for apparently touching the feet of Modi during a rally at Nawada two days ago.
“I saw a photograph of Nitish Kumar where he touched the feet of PM Modi… It was shocking. What happened to Nitish Kumar ji? The CM is a senior leader and he is touching the PM’s feet! He is the weakest CM Bihar has ever got,” she said.
In videos shared on social media, Kumar was seen bending towards the PM’s feet with his arms outstretched.
“After joining hands with the NDA, the CM has stopped talking about the special status of Bihar. The people and the youth of Bihar will never forget the false promises made by the NDA leaders. They will give them a befitting reply in the Lok Sabha polls,” she said. PTI PKD NN
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