Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi targeted Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for his partnership with the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying the latter was antithetical to the idea of building a unified India -- as evidenced in Gujarat ruled by it.
"Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is telling people that he stopped Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi from campaigning in the Bihar assembly polls, but the fact is Nitish Kumar is in partnership with the ideology in practice in Gujarat," Gandhi said in his address at an election rally in Koda in Katihar district, October 14.
He further added that Nitish Kumar's partnership is not with party leaders, but with ideology, as he has been supporting the BJP's move to create divisions in the country in the name of religion and community. "Our fight is with ideology, not party leaders," Gandhi said in reference to Nitish Kumar's bid to project himself as secular by opposing the Modi campaign in the Bihar polls.
"We are fighting against an ideology that divides this country and will continue our fight to the finish just so that the integrity and unity of India are in place," he said.
He reminded people that the Congress was contesting alone from all 243 assembly seats in Bihar to fight for development so that the youth of the state would have a bright and prosperous future.
Criticising Nitish Kumar's claims of development, Gandhi said there was an acute shortage of electricity, drinking water and health facilities in the state. "If development has truly taken place in Bihar, why are people migrating to Mumbai, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi in search of livelihood?" he asked at a public meeting in Saharsa.
He claimed that the Centre had provided more financial assistance to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar than to other states, and it was therefore unfortunate to hear that these funds had not reached the poor in rural areas.
Gandhi will address two more election rallies in Araria and in Supaul for party candidates on Thursday during his day-long visit ahead of the Bihar polls beginning this month.
