PDP-BJP govt in Jammu and Kashmir unprincipled and opportunistic: Nitish

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday termed as "unprincipled and opportunistic" the alliance between BJP and PDP to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir and said the saffron party's move has killed its ideological parent Shyama Prasad Mukherjee for the second time.

"Shyama Prasad Mukerjee was opposed to Article 370 which provided Jammu and Kashmir a special status... BJP by sacrificing principles of its ideological parent has killed him for the second time," Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of his weekly 'Janata ke Durbar mein Mukhiya Mantri'.

Nitish Kumar. PTI

"Mukherjee, founder of Jan Sangh had launched a massive agitation against Article 370 and died for the cause in 1953. For what is BJP bursting crackers after the formation of its government in J&K ?" Kumar said in his blistering attack the saffron party with which he drove JD(U) to break alliance in June 2013.

Lambasting BJP for joining hands with PDP, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called a 'Baap-Beti' (father- daughter) party during the Assembly poll, he said "This is playing with the nation and betrayal against its people."

On Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed thanking Hurriyat, militant outfits and "people from across the border", an oblique reference to Pakistan, for the peaceful poll in the border state, he said BJP should make its views on it public.

Kumar's offensive against BJP came in reply to a query seeking his reaction in view of BJP President Amit Shah describing the merger between JD(U) and RJD in Bihar as "unethical."

"Do they (BJP) have any wisdom to say so? In Maharashtra they are still hobnobbing with Sharad Pawar's NCP, which the PM had defined as 'naturally corrupt party'.

"In Bihar, BJP by propping up a dissident (Jitan Ram Manjhi) tried to weaken me," he said, adding that there was a "big gap" in the "words and deeds" of that party.

"During poll they (BJP) promised to bring back black money and distribute Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh to every poor person and 5 to 10 per cent of the black money to the salaried class. But now its president (Amit Shah) is saying it was a 'jumla' (saying)," Kumar said.

PTI