Delhi CM: Bihar victory a slap on politics of intolerance

Terming the Bihar poll verdict as a referendum on the performance of the Central government, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday described the outcome as a “slap” on the face of those “indulging in politics of hate and intolerance.” The Delhi chief minister added that this was also a verdict on the working style of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah.

“The Bihar result is historic in many ways. It has shown that the people of the country do not want politics of hate. It’s a slap on the face of those indulging in politics of hate and if they resort to politics of hate, then they will be wiped out. I hope this atmosphere of intolerance will end,” Mr Kejriwal said.

“The results are in a way a referendum (on the Modi government). The way the Prime Minister was working with arrogance and pride and the manner in which the Modi-Amit Shah duo were functioning dictatorially, this poll result has broken the Centre’s arrogance,” he said.

The AAP chief hoped that after these results, the Centre’s “interference” in Delhi and other states will end. Making a dig at Mr Modi, Mr Kejriwal also said that perhaps the Prime Minister will henceforth focus more on governance and cancel his foreign trips. “The way the Centre is illegally interfering in Delhi, we hope it will end now. We also hope the Centre’s interference in other states will also end,” he said.

“After this mandate, the people want that the Centre should run the state properly. We hope the Prime Minister will cancel his foreign trips and focus more on governance in the country — dal prices have shot beyond Rs 200/kg,” he added.

In the course of the five-phased Bihar Assembly elections, Mr Kejriwal had said in a tweet, “It is important that BJP lose Bihar so that they know that hate politics will not work in this country. People want love and peace, not hate.”

Mr Kejriwal, who had earlier extended his support to chief minister-designate Nitish Kumar, hoped the money promised to Bihar under a package of Rs 1.25 lakh crore announced by Mr Modi will be given to the state soon to ensure its speedy development. In another pot-shot, he also hoped that the BJP MPs and MLAs from now on will be accorded due respect and given the opportunity to openly voice their opinion.

Mr Kejriwal earlier congratulated the JD(U) leader for his “historic victory” as trends showed the grand alliance was surging ahead of the BJP-led NDA in Bihar and was set to form its government with a clear two-thirds majority in the 243-member Bihar Assembly.

“Many congratulations Nitishji on this historic victory,” he said on Twitter.

Mr Kejriwal had said that it was important that the BJP lost the Assembly elections in Bihar so that it realises that “hate politics” will not work in the country.