‘JD-U, Cong nexus to block Modi rally’

Slamming the Nitish Kumar government for trying to “sabotage” its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s much hyped “Hunkar” rally in the state, the BJP on Monday claimed its former ally JD(U) is all set to board Congress’ “corruption-laden” ship as the ruling party is using the CBI to put pressure on Mr Kumar, over his alleged involvement in the fodder scam, for an alliance. Asserting that BJP had announced the rally’s date way back in March, the saffron party accused Mr Kumar of trying to sabotage it by inviting President Pranab Mukherjee in the state at the same time. JD(U) had snapped its 17-year-old ties with the BJP over Mr Modi’s elevation. The party claimed “Hunkar” rally on October 27 would see the largest gathering ever seen in the country’s history and said Mr Modi’s growing popularity in Nitish Kumar ruled state and the enthusiasm among people to attend the rally has worried the chief minister so much so that he is “using the President’s shoulder to fire at” its former ally. “If you fear NaMo (Narendra Modi) so much, why use Hon President’s shoulder to fire Have courage to bring your partner Rahul Gandhi to Bihar,” senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain tweeted earlier during the day. BJP clarified that it is not against the President visiting the state or Bihar being given a special status as it will gain from it. However, deliberate attempts should not be made to prevent Mr Modi’s rally from taking place, it said. Mr Hussain said the President’s programme could not have been scheduled without the consent of the state government and the clash of timing is deliberate. BJP claimed it will meet the President and apprise him of the situation. Mr Hussain claimed JD(U) leader Shivanand Tiwari’s statement on JD(U)-Congress alliance was an indication that its former ally, which had been attacking the Congress over 2G spectrum, coalgate and other scams and whose chief Sharad Yadav has been a “symbol of anti-Congress politics so far,” is all set to “shake hands” with the ruling party.