Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday snapped back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had on Saturday said that there was something wrong in Nitish’s political DNA.
“Modi has questioned my blood by saying there was some problem with my DNA. My blood is that of a freedom fighter, who participated in the country's struggle for independence,” Nitish Kumar retorted back the prime minister.
Deeply hurt by Modi's statement, Nitish Kumar said that his blood was questioned by a prime minister, whose party (the Bharatiya Janata Party) and its mentor the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had not participated in the freedom movement.
“Modi has not only insulted nearly 11 crore Biharis by saying there was some problem with his ‘DNA’, he also found fault with a freedom fighter's blood,” Nitish Kumar said.
Nitish Kumar said that he had never come across such language used by a PM as Modi had used against him.
“Never before has such language been used by a prime minister against his opponent. I have watched and seen several PMs in the last four decades and read about first PM Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shashtri as well,” he said.
Addressing a public meeting in Muzaffarpur on Saturday Modi had said, “There seems to be some problem in his DNA because the DNA of democracy is not like that. In democracy, you give respect even to your political rivals.”
Soon after Modi attacked him Nitish Kumar said that by insulting him Modi has insulted and humiliated all Biharis.
“It has exposed that standards have deteriorated to such an extent,” Nitish said adding that he failed to understand how a prime minister can use such language against a chief minister.
“I would like to point out to BJP leaders that they have no knowledge of Bihar's DNA. They should study Bihar's DNA, which has a long history,” Nitish Kumar said. He added that another senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari had once claimed that was in the DNA of Bihar.
Nitish said that the people of Bihar would give a fitting reply to Modi and the BJP in the upcoming assembly polls for this insult.
Nitish Kumar used a Hindi saying ‘Ek Bihari sab per bhari’ (one Bihari is enough to handle everyone) to point out that it would be proven right in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls.
“Modi and his party have no leader or face to challenge me, a Bihari, so they have borrowed leaders from outside the state for it,” he said.
