Nitish betrayed people of Bihar: Sushil Modi

Zee Media Bureau

Patna: Addressing the media after the split of BJP and JD(U) in Bihar, Sushil Modi said on Sunday that it was a ‘black day’ in the history of Bihar. Hitting back at Bihar Chief Minsiter for ending a seventeen year old alliance, the senior BJP leader said, “Nitish Kumar should have quit as the chief minister as he was the NDA nominee for the state.” He added, “The mandate in last Bihar Assembly elections was for NDA. He also catergorically stated, “Nitish has betrayed the people of Bihar.” Sushil Modi furher said, “JD(U) had given us time till December 31 to name our prime ministerial candidate,” adding, “Earlier JD(U) had called Narendra Modi’s elevation as the party’s poll panel chief as its internal matter.” “No political party has so far announced their PM candidate,” he added. Sushil Modi also said that the Bhartiya Janata Party had always followed the coalition dharma. He announced that BJP will organise a Bihar bandh on June 18 to protest against JD(U)`s `betrayal`. Earlier today, JD(U) ended a seventeen year old alliance with the BJP after Nitish Kumar met the Governor and conveyed the same to him. The discomfort between the two allies had been growing ever since the Gujarat Chief Minister was appointed the party’s poll panel head. Also, Nitish Kumar has been making it clear time and aging that Narendra Modi was not acceptable to him as the face of NDA in 2014 polls. JD (U) President Sharad Yadav and Bihar CM announced the breakup of the coalition at a press conference in Patna. Yadav also quit as convenor of the NDA. "We cannot compromise with our basic principles. We are not worried about the consequences. As long as the alliance was Bihar-centric, there was no problem. But we had no alternative now. We are not responsible. We were forced to take this decision,” Nitish said. "The BJP is going through a new phase. As long as there was no external interference in the Bihar alliance, it ran smoothly. Problems began whenever there was external interference," Kumar added without taking the name of Modi even once in the half-an-hour press conference.