New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) The Communist Party of India (CPI) Sunday backed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to return to Gujarat the Rs.5 crore given for flood relief, terming it an act of ‘self-respect of Bihar’.
S. Sudhakar Reddy, deputy general secretary of the CPI, said it was high time that Nitish Kumar and his Janata Dal-United (JD-U) severed ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nationally.
‘Nitish and JD-U have nothing common with BJP’s communal agenda. He (Nitish) and his party have always stood for secularism and development. It is high time for them to sever all ties with the BJP,’ Reddy told IANS.
He said that opportunism for power in Bihar had united the JD-U and the BJP. ‘If Nitish severs ties with the BJP, it will be good for the state’s development and it also help strengthen secular forces,’ he said.
A miffed Nitish Kumar Saturday returned the Rs.5 crore given for flood relief over advertisements featuring him and Narendra Modi and the latter’s reference to the aid provided by Gujarat during the 2008 Kosi floods.
‘Modi’s reference to the flood relief amount given to Bihar by his government is an act of insult to the people of Bihar. Nitish’s decision to return that money is an act of self respect,’ Reddy said.
