On his return from New Delhi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday categorically denied having had any scheduled meeting with the Opposition Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders during his visit to the national capital.
Mr. Kumar was speaking to media persons at Patna airport, where he stressed that he had made a brief trip, and there had been no scheduled meeting with Opposition leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Some reports said Mr. Kumar visited New Delhi on Wednesday to pay tribute to the late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary, and also to meet Opposition leaders of the INDIA bloc.
Mr. Kumar, however, denied this when reporters asked him about it.
“No, it’s nothing like that. I keep talking to the leaders of Opposition parties, and I did not go to Delhi to talk to any specific leaders among them. I had gone there for a limited time and the meeting of Opposition parties is already going to be held in Mumbai on August 31st and September 1st. We will go to Mumbai to attend that meeting,” he responded, when asked if he had been unable to secure appointments from the offices of Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Kharge despite repeated requests.
“There was no scheduled meeting with Opposition leaders in New Delhi,” Mr. Kumar said.
“The surgery of my eye was carried out one-and-a-half years ago, so there was a need for eye check-up on a regular interval. Yesterday [Wednesday], it was the death anniversary of respected Atal Bihari Vajpayee-ji and I paid the tribute by visiting his samadhi sthal in Delhi. I had a very old relationship with Atal-ji. Once I had said in Parliament that Atal Bihari Vajpayee would become the next Prime Minister of the country and it happened. Atal-ji did great work for the country. I can never forget the relationship with him. He had come to Patna when I had taken oath as Chief Minister for the first time,“ Mr. Kumar said.
Mr. Kumar has played an important role in uniting the Opposition parties and bringing them together on a common platform. Sources said he’s likely to be appointed as the convener of the INDIA grouping.
The Bihar CM also said that Opposition unity had begun from Patna, and two successful meetings had upset leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
He said that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be in the interest of the country.
Asked about poll strategist Prashant Kishor continuous criticisms of his government on several fronts, Mr. Kumar said that he did not pay attention to Mr. Kishor’s statements. “What do I have to do with who says what? You people will come to know only when you ask the public,” Mr. Kumar said.
Asked about the alleged deterioration in law and order in the State, Mr. Kumar said that there were few criminal incidents in Bihar, and numbers had to be checked before statements were issued. “Some people keep saying without any meaning. They have captured the media and only one-sided news keeps coming in the media. We are not allowed to speak in the media and our words are not published,” he alleged.
