Former JD(U) chief and one of the founding members of the party Sharad Yadav has openly declared his dissatisfaction against the decision of Nitish Kumar.
With the prevailing political changes that are taking place in Bihar, it seems like JD(U) is divided into two factions, one led Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the other led by rebel former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav. All the anti-BJP parties are supporting the JD(U) led by Sharad. The possibilities of a split in the party are also likely very soon. If Sharad forms a new party he will get the support of almost all the opposition parties. RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav has already extended his support to Sharad.
Sharad Yadav had convened a meeting of anti-BJP parties on Thursday, in which leaders from many parties were invited. This meeting is being regarded as the show of strength by Sharad Yadav against Nitish Kumar. It will also decide the future course of politics in Bihar and for that matter in entire India. Before the breakup in the grand alliance between JD(U)-RJD and Congress, Nitish Kumar was seen as the Opposition’s Prime Ministerial face against Modi in 2019 polls. But after Nitish ditched the alliance, Congress has landed in fishy waters not very much confident about 2019 polls.
Sharad Yadav rebelling against Nitish Kumar and planning to split the party to form an alliance with RJD-Congress has given a string of hope to Congress to hold on to. The anti-BJP meeting organised by Sharad was to discuss and decide his next move. He has the option of forming a political formula based on the models of JP, Kanshi Ram, VP Singh or form a new model based on merging the ideology of all these models. The meeting organised was called The ‘sajha virasat bachao sammelan’ (save composite culture programme).
In his statement to the press, Sharad said that composite culture was the very soul of Indian Constitution and it was being played with. He said that the save composite culture programme was not against anybody but in the interest of the country and in the interest of 125 crore people of the country. Choosing to remain silent and tactfully avoiding to speak on the decision of Kumar of forming the new government in alliance with BJP, Sharad said that the meeting was schedued to be held long back before the split in the party and had nothing to do with Kumar’s decision.
Talking during the meeting Yadav brought up the issue of deteriorating conditions of the low and backward and cited the incidents such as the suicide of Rohith Vemula and the disappearance of JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, besides suicides of farmers across the country, to suggest that the situation was tough for underprivileged people.
Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel, besides former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi from the Congress, Yechury of the CPI(M), Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav and Naresh Aggarwal of the SP, Manoj Jha of the RJD, Farooq Abdullah of the National Congress and former Jharkhand chief minister Babu Lal Marandi had confirmed their participation.
Rahul while addressing the gathering at the meeting said that the Narendra Modi government is imposing RSS ideology in every institution of the country. He added that the difference between RSS and Congress is said One says this country is mine, other say I belong to the country. Further attacking BJP and RSS Rahul said that according to RSS the country belonged to 15-20 industrialists. and that India will be run by these 15-20 people. He claimed that RSS did not salute the Tricolour till it did not rule the country. Gandhi further targeting BJP said that the party did not fulfil its promise of bringing back the black money, offering jobs to nor PM’s ‘Make in India’ initiative bearing any fruits. He also alleged that the government was supporting the industrialist but not helping the farmers. “Modi-ji says he wants to create a Swachch Bharat but we want Sach Bharat. Wherever he goes he lies,” Gandhi alleged.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the faction led by Sharad Yadav is the “real” and secular JD-U while the group led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is “completely drowned in the BJP”. He congratulated the rebel JD-U leader for “choosing the path of secularism” and parting ways with Nitish Kumar. Azad also hailed Sharad Yadav for not accepting a cabinet berth in the BJP-led union government. “He stuck to his principles and refused to accept the ministerial berth offered to him,” the Congress leader said.
Meanwhile, JD(U) taking a toll on Sharad Yadav for rebelling against the party, party spokesperson KC Tyagi said that the nobody will have any objection over a meeting on “saving composite culture” but Sharad should not cross the red line by crossing the red line. Indirectly hitting on RJD Tyagi said that “For god’s sake, he should not go to that rally. We have no problem with the questions he is raising but we will take exception to him sharing the stage with tainted people. If he does not attend Lalu’s rally, then we will respect him more. He should not be seen with evil forces.”
BJP also criticised the saving composite culture meeting attended by almost all the opposition parties. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad termed the meeting as an alliance of defeated and scared people and said that the opposition will lose again. He questioned the opposition saying “On behalf of BJP I ask organizers of the composite culture how they consider the merciless killings of RSS workers by CPI-M goons in Kerala. Is it part of the composite culture? Why is Rahul Gandhi silent on these killings? Where are the so called intellectuals who returned their awards in the name of intolerance?.” Prasad accused Gandhi of heading the Congress undemocratically by creating fear among Congress party workers. “Rahul has threatened his party workers. He always loses elections but still leads the party. Despite losing continuously nobody is questioning his leadership because he has threatened his own party people,” he said.