PATNA: Ace poll strategist and Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Friday took a jibe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the caste and economic survey report released by the state government recently, saying it would harm the CM politically.
Kishor said, “If we look at the economic survey data released by the government by linking it with the caste census, it becomes clear that sometimes when the day is bad, even if you think about doing something good, the opposite will happen.”
Nitish released the report hoping to make political gains, but it would lead to political losses, he said, adding that this is like picking up cow dung and applying it on the mouth.
The economic survey says that 20 percent of the people of Bihar live in huts and do not have their own houses.
“You (Nitish) are just saying that after running the government for 32 years, you are saying that 20 percent of the people do not have houses,” he remarked.
The poll strategist contended that RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Nitish had been in power for 32 years but still 20 percent people did not have houses. As per the survey report, 80 percent of the people of Bihar do not earn even Rs 100 a day, said Kishor.
This is the result of 32 years of Lalu-Nitish rule, he added.
“If the deprived communities, extremely backward communities, Dalits and Muslims have not got a place in Bihar, Lalu and Nitish have not given this place,” he added.
On the other hand, Nitish said that he would launch a statewide movement if special category status was not granted to Bihar by the Centre.
He said the special category status will augment the pace of development as the government has planned several welfare schemes for economically weaker sections of society.
“If the Centre does not accord special status to the state, it means they are against Bihar's development,” the CM added.