Sushil Kumar Modi assails Nitish for blaming opposition

PATNA: Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today assailed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for 'conveniently blaming' the opposition for all negative incidents in the state and said the 'baseless utterances' were being made to divert attention from the government's weakness.

A number of negative incidents like Bagaha police firing, Bodh Gaya blasts, Chapra midday meal tragedy, poisoning of water in hand pumps, communal clashes in Nawada and Bettiah and a slew of Maoist attacks have rocked Bihar in the past two months exposing lack of governance and rule of law in Bihar, Modi told reporters.

Kumar has 'conveniently blamed' the opposition for conspiring for these negative incidents allegedly to destablize his government. "This is a diversionary tactics, a craft that he (the CM)has learnt from RJD chief Lalu Prasad."

"He stands thoroughly exposed as an administrator as the recent turn of events has beaten hollow his well cultivated image as a flagbearer of development and good governance in Bihar," Modi said.

Kumar's charges have not been proved during the ongoing probes into the incidents, he said and dared the CM to prove them correct.

He also criticised Kumar for not placing any wreath on the bodies of soldiers, who hailed from the state and killed on the LoC at Poonch, either in Delhi or here. The chief minister, who was in the national capital at the time, also did not instruct his ministers to receive the bodies when they were flown in to Patna last week.

"The chief minister alone is accountable," he said. The disparaging remarks made by JD(U) ministers about the death of the ministers showed their insensitive attitude, Modi added.