BJP made Bharat Ratna a deal: Tejashwi Yadav

PATNA: Launching a scathing attack over the announcement of conferring Bharat Ratna to former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur (posthumously), former Bihar Deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday said that the BJP has made Bharat Ratna a deal.

"I am happy that Karpoori Thakur got (Bharat Ratna)...They (BJP) have made Bharat Ratna a deal. Deal with us and we will give you Bharat Ratna," former Bihar Deputy CM said in Bihar Vidhan Sabha ahead of the floor test of CM Nitish Kumar's government to prove their majority.

The RJD leader congratulated Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for scripting history by taking oath for the ninth consecutive time. "I stand against this new government. I want to thank CM Nitish Kumar for creating history by taking oath 9 times," he said.

"We will always respect CM Nitish Kumar. When you came out of Raj Bhavan after resigning, you (Nitish Kumar) said 'Mann nhi lag raha tha, hum log nachne gaane ke liye thode hai (we were not there to dance and sing), we were there to support you," the RJD leader added.

Calling himself the "nephew" of Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav said he will stop the BJP juggernaut.

"We think of you (CM Nitish Kumar) as a member of our family. We are from the Samajwadi family. Jo aap jhanda le kar ke chale the ki Modi ko desh mein rokne hain, ab aapka Bhateeja jhanda utha kar ke Modi ko Bihar mein rokne ka kaam karega (the flag you had raised to stop the BJP across the country, now your nephew will carry that flag and stop Modi in Bihar)," he said.

He said that he feels bad for the MLAs of the JDU as they will have to go among the public and answer why Nitish Kumar took oath three times in a single term.

"I feel bad for JDU MLAs because they will have to go among the public and answer. If someone asks you why Nitish Kumar took oath 3 times, what will you say? Earlier you used to criticise them (BJP) and now you are praising them, what will you say? We (RJD) will say that we have given jobs," the RJD leader said.

Taking a jibe at Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi for supporting the JDU and NDA alliance, Tejashwi Yadav said, "In the last session, when Jitan Ram Manjhi presented his views, the CM got angry and later Manjhi Ji said that someone gave you (Nitish Kumar) wrong medicine and that his mental condition was not good and should be treated. Now I have full trust that Manjhi Ji will give good medicine."

Earlier in January, Nitish, who had reportedly gone into a sulk after not being named the convenor of INDIA, the Opposition bloc that took shape through his efforts, dumped the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar and the national coalition to form a new government with the support of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Putting to rest frenzied speculations around his future and that of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, Nitish resigned as chief minister on January 28, his second volte face in less than 18 months.

The JD(U) has 45 MLAs in the House of 243 while its partners, the BJP and the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), have 79 and 4 sitting legislators respectively.

With the support of another Independent MLA, the NDA has 128 MLAs in the House against 115 of the Mahagathbandhan.

To go past the majority mark in the House, the ruling alliance needs 122 votes.