Patna: Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor on Tuesday questioned the Nitish Kumar government’s development model, even as he sneered at the chief minister for making ideological compromises to stay in an alliance with the BJP.
Kishor, who has been vocal about his opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), said Kumar needs to spell out whether he is with the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi or those who support Nathu Ram Godse.
“Nitish-ji has always said that he cannot leave the ideals of Gandhi, JP and Lohiya… At the same time, how can he be with the people who support the ideology of Godse. Both cannot go together. If you want to stay with the BJP, I don’t have any problem with it but you cannot be on both sides,” he said.
“There has been a lot of discussion between me and Nitish-ji on this. He has his thought process and I have mine. There have been differences between him and me that the ideologies of Godse and Gandhi cannot stand together. As the leader of the party you have to say which side you are on,” he added.
In a direct assault on Kumar’s model of governance, Kishor said Bihar was the poorest state in 2005 and continues to be so.
“There has been development in Bihar during the last 15 years, but the pace has not been as it should have,” he added.
Also read: Why ‘winners’ pick Prashant Kishor
I don’t know who’s ideals he was espousing while he managed Modi’s campaign in 2011, 2014, when he joined JD(U), a long term BJP ally in 2018. Perhaps Godse, I reckon. Being young first generation politician, he must move out of this binary.
It is a funny statement from Prashant… It seems he forgot about how he made huge wealth in 2014 by holding the hand of Godse lovers LoL
It is quite funny statement by Prashant Kishore… It seems he forgot how he made money in 2014 elections by holding hands of Godse worshipping party
Our politicians have taken Gandhi’s name ad nauseum. When will this country come out of Gandhin vice grip? Until then, India will remain a “developing country”.
Fine recent column by Sankarshan Thakur on the man who converts all he touches into electoral gold.