As the controversy surrounding Union Minister Sushma Swaraj over l'affaire Lalit Modi rages, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday alleged that the BJP was displaying double standards on its commitment to the rule of law.
“It’s been the principle or the work culture of the BJP to defend all those who are with it irrespective of their crime but hound those who oppose it,” charged Mr. Nitish Kumar.
He also questioned Ms. Swaraj’s “humanitarian grounds” explanation put forward by the BJP. “Tell me in how many cases this line was taken?” he asked, adding that a “dangerous situation” was being created by those who have rallied behind the beleaguered External Affairs Minister.
“Everybody in the government, including the Prime Minister, must have been aware of the External Affairs Minister’s gesture to the fugitive Modi,” alleged Mr. Kumar while addressing journalists on the sidelines of his weekly janata durbar.
Hitting out at the Modi government, Mr. Kumar said that this “episode of Ms. Swaraj” had exposed the real face of the government. BJP leaders were doing everything to protect her despite the fact that laws were broken.
The ruling party leaders had become arrogant and were not ready to accept their mistakes, the Chief Minister added.
He said it was not clear if the External Affairs Minister had taken the consent of her colleague and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley before proceeding in the matter.
