BJP condemns JD(U) for harping on Ishrat Jahan's Bihar roots

PATNA: The war of words between the two former NDA allies grew sharper with BJP today slamming JD(U) for harping on Gujarat encounter case victim Ishrat Jahan's Bihar connection to mount frontal attack on Narendra Modi, a bitter adversary of Nitish Kumar.

"We condemn JD(U)'s bid to harp on Ishrat's Bihar connection to mount attack on us and our leader (Modi)," BJP Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ravishankar Prasad told reporters here.

"Terrorists have no religion and roots ... What JD(U) is doing is playing politics for vote bank," he said.

JD(U) should refrain from glorifying a terrorist or a suspected one, Prasad said and wondered why it had not harped on the roots of suspected militants who were arrested from Madhubani, Darbhanga and elsewhere in Bihar in the past few years.

He also wondered why JD(U) or Kumar did not condole the death of three Bihar policemen on duty in the devastation at Kedarnath, where they escorted the then health minister Ashwani Chaube.

"We have not heard a word of grief or condolence from the ruling party in Bihar about the death of the three policemen in Uttarakhand," the BJP leader said.

Prasad also lashed out at JD(U) for the manner in which it had put pressure for disqualification of its former MP Upendra Kushwaha and suddenly withdrawing a similar plea in Lok Sabha for disqualification of three dissident MPs.

"Till a few months ago JD(U) leadership was mounting pressure for disqualification of one Rajya Sabha and three Lok Sabha MPs for their involvement in dissident activities. But it has suddenly changed heart and withdrew the plea for disqualification of three LS MPs," he said and alleged that the change of position was political expediency.

Taking a dig at Kumar, he said the Bihar CM was competing with RJD chief Lalu Prasad to 'sit on the lap' of Congress in the same way that he was receiving visiting central ministers.

"It will be interesting to see whether he will respect the same protocol and receive Narendra Modi when he visits Bihar after becoming the prime minister after the next general elections," the BJP leader added.