The Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday criticised Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's portrayal of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in her memoir, asserting that he was the architect of the opposition INDIA bloc and had played a key role in bringing regional parties together.
JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad alleged that Gandhi had presented the events surrounding the formation of the opposition alliance in a manner intended to mislead people.
"The JD(U) is deeply aggrieved by the way Nitish Kumar has been mentioned in Sonia Gandhi's book in the context of the INDIA bloc. We believe that Nitish Kumar is the architect and driving force behind the INDIA bloc, which is currently being led by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi," Prasad said in a video statement.
In her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Gandhi wrote that Kumar had been looking for an opportunity to leave the INDIA bloc and was under the influence of the BJP. She also referred to his return to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in early 2024.
Countering Gandhi's account, Prasad said most regional parties had initially been reluctant to bring the Congress into the opposition alliance and that Kumar had persuaded them to join hands with the party.
He said Kumar's efforts had led to the first meeting of the alliance being successfully held in Patna.
Prasad also defended Kumar's decision to leave the INDIA bloc, saying he had eventually realised that the alliance would not be able to take on the NDA because of the ambitions and regional political interests of the Congress and its allies.
"The role of the Congress and its allies, their ambitions and regional political interests made it clear that they did not have the capacity to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). That is why Nitish Kumar left the INDIA bloc," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
