‘Betrayed’ by PM, Kushwaha quits

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 10

On a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a one-up in the battle of perceptions with the Vijay Mallya case, another NDA ally today walked out of his council of ministers, questioning his leadership and accusing him of “social injustice, reducing his ministers to a rubber stamp and betraying backward classes”.

Resignation by Minister of State for Human Resource Development and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha came just a day before Parliament’s winter session, the last full session for the BJP-led NDA. While making official the decision, Kushwaha used same allegations levelled by the Opposition to target the PM and the BJP in Bihar (indifference towards poor, Dalits and OBC, toeing RSS’ line and relying on “jumlas”) in 2015.

Kushwaha’s resignation letter to the Prime Minister said he was feeling ‘cheated’, ‘dejected’ and ‘betrayed’ by his leadership. “It is unfortunate that the government’s priority is not to work for the poor and oppressed, but to fix political opponents by hook or crook,” he said.

Alleging that the government was implementing the RSS agenda “unconstitutionally”, Kushwaha said it had not published the Census data of the OBCs. “The government has been toeing the agenda of the RSS, which is unconstitutional, and is subverting the agenda of social justice enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.

“We had high expectations from the Prime Minister. We had hoped that the BJP under Modi would work for the social upliftment. The promise of providing Bihar with a special package has been the biggest jumla (rhetoric),” Kushwaha said while he attacked Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for leaving the state’s infrastructure in a shambles.

As Kushwaha prepares for a life out of the NDA, claiming that it would not be able to win a single seat in Bihar, BJP leaders here say his walking out would not affect the prospects of the BJP. The eventuality, they say, was “well expected and catered for” in the seat-sharing arrangement with the JD(U).

The RLSP is the second ally to leave the NDA fold after N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP, which is now at the forefront of the nascent anti-BJP coalition. The decision is being seen as a blow to the NDA unity.

He may join grand alliance: RJD

• The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) claimed that RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha would soon join ‘Mahagathbandhan’ (grand alliance) for the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar
• RJD spokesperson Bhai Birendra claimed that the party already revealed six months ago that the RLSP chief would keep the NDA at bay to join grand alliance 
• Kushwaha also said he was open to joining the Opposition camp or launching a third front