Kejriwal extends support to Nitish

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has extended  support to JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections after felicitating him and AAP and JD(U) party leaders at the Bihar Samman Samaroh.

At the function, attended by nearly 5,000 people, a majority of whom comprised the migrant Bihari and Purvanchali population, AAP took the opportunity to boost the election campaign of JD(U). Sending out a clear message that they both stand together against BJP, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Delhi’s CM Arvind Kejriwal gave a united slogan of – Give Full statehood to Delhi and Special status to Bihar. Amid thunderous applauses and frequent chants, Kejriwal minced no words in criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP government at the Centre.

Playing out on mammoth Bihari population in Delhi, Kejriwal asked them to call their relatives back in Bihar and expose BJP’s double speak on corruption. “When we had asked for honest officers from different states for our anti-corruption branch, Nitishji was the first one to help. He had sent those very officers who we had asked for. But on June 8, the Centre sent paramilitary forces to take over the anti-corruption branch from us, which had been with the Delhi government for 23 years,” Kejriwal told the cheering crowd.

The Delhi CM also slammed the Modi government over his latest promise of Rs1.25 crore package for poll-bound Bihar and said he promises something else before elections and delivers something else after that. “Was he trying to buy votes? Do they come that cheap? Will he give the money if the BJP loses the election? If they have so much money, they should implement the OROP scheme,” Kejriwal said.

Kumar, too slammed the central government for announcing the special package for Bihar and termed it as umplanned. “The way he was speaking and saying 50 crore, 60 crore … Were they auctioning Bihar?” Kumar asked. He emphasised that Bihar only needs a special status and reiterated Kejriwal’s demand for full statehood for Delhi. Kumar also said he will soon be inviting Kejriwal to Bihar in the next few days for him to deliver a talk on selected subjects. Wooing the migrant Bihar population, both told the crowd that Delhi would not function if all the Biharis in the city stop working for a day.