RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha hits back at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's 'neech' comment

Muzaffarpur: Two days after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's 'neech' comment, Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha hit back saying that they are saying they are from the same family. 

“Bade bhai Nitish Kumar ji, jab ek hi parivaar se aap aur hum hain toh Upendra Kushwaha neech kaise ho gaya? Main Nitish Kumar se yeh jaanna chahta hoon (Dear big brother Nitish Kumar, when we both belong from the same family, how can I (Upendra Kushwaha) be from the lower strata),” said Kushwaha. 

Both Kumar and Kushwaha are Other Backward Caste (OBC) leaders, belonging to the Kurmi and Koery castes respectively.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's DNA remark in 2014 poll, “PM ne kisi aur sandarb mein DNA ki baat kari thi (before Bihar polls), par Nitish Kumar ne apni party ke logo se kaha ki baal aur nakhoon kat kar Delhi bhejo humara DNA kaisa hai iski report hum chahiye. Hum aaj bhi intezaar mein hain ki woh DNA ki report aayi ya nahi? (PM was referring to DNA in a different context (before Bihar polls), but Nitish Kumar asked his party members to collect samples of hair and nail to be sent to Delhi for verifying the DNA. We are still eagerly waiting for that DNA report," added Kushwaha.

The RLSP chief has been unhappy with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally Janata Dal (United)'s decision to contest an equal number of seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Bihar. The state sends 40 members to Parliament and after the BJP-JD(U) deal, there is speculation that whether this would mean fewer seats for other allies like the RLSP and the Ramvilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

Kushwaha's attack on Kumar followed a statement by the chief minister Saturday, in which he had said, "Itna neeche baat ko nahi le jaiye (do not take the debate to such a low level)."