Purnea (Bihar):
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar felt trapped after he ordered a caste survey under pressure from Mahagathbandhan associates and the BJP “provided him with a way out”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Tuesday.
Mr Gandhi made the comment at a rally in Bihar's Purnea district, berating the JD(U) president who returned to the BJP-led NDA two days ago, dealing a major blow to the opposition bloc INDIA whose he was considered one of the architects.
“We don't need Nitish Kumar,” Mr Gandhi asserted, adding that people should keep in mind that he makes a U-turn when pressed.
“You (people) must understand that Nitish Kumar felt trapped after Congress and RJD (Mahagathbandhan's largest constituency) ensured that a caste poll was held. The BJP provided him with a way out,” he said at a rally as part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
Mr Gandhi, who was addressing his first rally in Bihar since the 2020 election campaign, also told a joke, now trending on social media, which he heard about from former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Singh Baghel.
The joke, which was also shared by AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh on or the JD(U) supremo was back to take oath as leader of another formation.
In his speech, which lasted about half an hour, Mr Gandhi said: “Our aim is to ensure justice, both socially and economically. For social justice, we call for a caste census that can be considered an x-ray of society. is ready, we can do an MRI.”
The Congress leader highlighted the fact that OBCs, despite their huge representation, are grossly under-represented in the bureaucracy and big corporations and “even in the media, they are rarely allowed to rise above the position of reporters”.
Soon after the meeting, Mr Gandhi wrote in a message on We will not make any concessions to him. Succumbing to the pressure, he compromised with the government. BJP has always been against social justice. He became afraid, but we will not be afraid.” Like social justice, economic justice is also essential, he said, citing the example of 'makhana' (fox nuts) grown in abundance in Purnea and adjoining districts.
Pointing to a 10 kg garland made of 'makhana', he said, “You should know that this can fetch Rs 1.5 lakh in the US markets. But the farmers who grew these would not get more than Rs 2,500. change and the farmers get what they are entitled to.” The former Congress leader, who is leading the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' that started from Manipur earlier this month, also expressed dismay over the ethnic situation in the northeastern state and alleged that the situation there resembled 'a civil war'.
The meeting would also be addressed by AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who was denied permission to land his chartered flight at a nearby airstrip due to bad weather.
State Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh played a video message from the party president after he claimed that “Kharge could not come here, just like our allies, RJD leaders Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav. You can see bright sunlight everywhere. But The Ministry of Defense, which controls the runway here, refused permission to our party chairman, claiming that visibility was poor.” Prasad, the founder and president of the RJD, who is in his 70s and suffering from various ailments, was in Patna where he was interrogated for nine hours by the Enforcement Directorate the day before.
Mr Yadav, his son and heir apparent, was questioned by the ED in the alleged land-for-jobs scam that names the father-son duo and many others close to them.
Other Congress leaders who addressed the meeting included General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, who accompanied Gandhi during the Yatra, former Union Minister Tariq Anwar, Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi and former JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar.
Meanwhile, a number of drones were intercepted by security personnel at the Rangbhoomi Maidan, the venue of the meeting.
“We seized nine drones. The matter has been brought to the notice of the Superintendent of Police and investigations will be initiated as per his instructions,” said Anil Kumar Singh, SHO of K-hat police station.
Mr Gandhi's Yatra had entered Bihar from Kishanganj district on Monday and reached Purnea after an overnight stop at Araria.
After addressing the gathering in Purnia, where Gandhi also interacted with local farmers, the entourage left for neighboring Katihar, from where it is expected to leave for Malda in West Bengal on Wednesday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)