BJP justifies Modi elevation, decries 'emotional' break-up

BJP blasted the ruling party in Bihar for snapping their “emotional relationship”, even as Congress said the split should have happened earlier.

Hours after the Janata Dal (United) formally divorced its partner of 17 years, the BJP blasted the ruling party in Bihar for snapping their “emotional relationship”, even as Congress said the split should have happened earlier.

In his first reaction to the split at a rally organised by the party’s youth wing in Delhi on Sunday, BJP chief Rajnath Singh accused JD(U) of having “disintegrated an emotional relationship of 17 years”.

Singh said the alliance was formed on the basis of “trust and mutual understanding”. “When that goes, it is really sad. We can be betrayed but we will never betray,” he added.

The BJP president also put the blame on the alliance’s break-up squarely on the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U).

“If we made Narendra bhai (Modi) head of the campaign committee, did we make a communal person the head? If an unfortunate riot occurred in Gujarat, should the CM be held responsible for it? Such riots also took place under Congress governments, but no one calls them communal,” he said.

He also noted that the BJP had only made Modi in-charge of the election campaign committee. “Every political party creates a campaign committee for polls. Was JD(U) angered just by this to have snapped such old ties,” he asked.

Other NDA allies, including the Shiv Sena, reiterated support to the BJP and termed the development “unfortunate”.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said in Indore that if Nitish had the courage to break the alliance in 2010 itself, BJP would have won fewer seats in the Assembly elections.