Patna/Nagpur; Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said that he is going to launch a “shabdwapsi” or “TakeBackYourWords” campaign since Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not taken back his “derogatory remarks on our DNA” despite repeated pleas.
Posting a series of tweets on Twitter, the CM said that at least 50 lakh people of Bihar will participate in the “shabdwapsi” campaign and send their DNA samples to the Prime Minister for testing. He also said that there will be a “swabhiman rally” in Patna on August 29.
In an open letter, Kumar had recently “urged” the PM to take back the comments he made about his “political DNA” during a political rally last month in the state. He had asked Modi to withdraw remarks on his DNA to assuage the ‘hurt’ sentiments of the people of Bihar.
Modi had launched a scathing attack on leaders of the RJD-JD-U combine last month in a rally in Muzaffarpur as he rolled out the NDA’s campaign for assembly polls in Bihar, singling out the chief minister for criticism.
Modi had said Kumar broke up with the BJP for personal gain, adding that there is something wrong with the CM’s “political DNA” that led the Janata Dal-United leader to ditch friends who worked with him.
“I was hurt when he withdrew his support. But when he did the same thing to a Mahadalit such as Jitan Manjhi, then I figured out there is something wrong in his political DNA,” Modi had said, referring to the JD(U)’s split with the BJP in 2013.
On Sunday, the PM again attacked the party, saying Bihar could be saved from a “jungle raj” only if the people vote for the BJP in the assembly polls later this year.
Addressing a “parivartan rally” in Gaya ahead of the polls scheduled to be held later this year, the PM said, “This election in Bihar is going to be a festival of getting rid of jungle raj.”
He targeted Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad, saying their stints in Bihar had set back the development of Bihar. “Jungle raj part 2 will ruin everything,” Modi said.
The war of words intensified soon with both Prasad and Kumar taking on Modi on Twitter. Prasad asked the PM to list the achievements of his one-and-half year rule and what exactly he did for Bihar. “Bhootkal ke bhoot na bane, aage dekhen (Don’t be a ghost of the past, look forward.)
Bihar CM, on the other hand, said that first with the DNA comment and then with “BIMARU” state comment, the PM was once again showing his prejudice against the people of Bihar.
