With just a few days ahead of the Bihar elections, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Chirag Paswan has sharpened his attack against the Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar.
Talking about allegations of corruption, the LJP chief said that the “jail is the right place for the chief minister.”
“It is not possible that Nitish Kumar was not involved in scams,” the LJP leader told news agency ANI.
“I said that if they’re guilty, they’ll be sent to jail after probe. How can it be possible that CM doesn’t know about large scale scams and corruption? He’s involved too. If not, it’ll be clear in a probe. But people and I believe that he’s involved, he is corrupt,” ANI quoted Paswan as saying.
Paswan’s attack against Kumar comes after the LJP chief was questioned about his promise to jail those responsible for corruption in the Nitish Kumar rule.
Paswan also targeted the JD(U) chief over the liquor ban project.
“Why is the liquor ban not being reviewed? Is liquor smuggling not going on? Aren't the powerful accessing liquor in Bihar? The entire state government is linked to liquor smuggling, government and administration are colluding. There is not one minister in Bihar government who doesn't know about it. If you don't want to review it, it means you yourself are involved,” said Paswan, reported ANI.
Launching a series of attacks on Kumar, Paswan said: “Alcohol ban in Bihar has failed. Illicit liquor is widely being sold and Nitish Kumar is receiving kickbacks," ANI quoted Paswan as saying.
Taking to Twitter, Paswan requested people to vote for LJP candidates.
“I request you all to vote for LJP and implement ‘Bihar First, Bihari First’. Everywhere else vote for BJP candidates” Paswan tweeted in Hindi.
Paswan also asserted that the next state government will be a ‘Nitish free’ one.
Chirag Paswan has repeatedly stressed his loyalty to PM Modi and expressed a desire to form a government with the BJP in Bihar. He has even gone to the extent of saying that his party would ensure BJP’s first chief minister in Bihar.
Meanwhile, the political battle between the LJP and the JD(U) has been brimming since Chirag Paswan left the NDA alliance, citing “ideological difference” with the JD(U). Earlier in October, the BJP expelled nine of its party leaders who quit to join Chirag Paswan's LJP.
On 18 October, Paswan said that he was deeply hurt by the 'vote katwa' remark by BJP leaders in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections and it was an "insult" to his late father and Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan.
Bihar will be voting on 28 October, 3 and 7 November. The results will be announced on 10 November.
(With inputs from ANI and NDTV)
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