PATNA: A day after claiming that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would be put behind bars if his party is voted to power, Chirag Paswan, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief on Monday called Kumar a “corrupt” leader and accused him of being involved in the corruption in ‘Saat Nischay’ (Seven Resolves).
“I said that if they are guilty, they will be sent to jail after probe. How can it be possible that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar doesn’t know about large-scale scams and corruption? He is involved too. If not, it will be clear in a probe. But people and I believe that he is involved, he is corrupt,” Paswan told ANI on being asked about his allegations against Nitish Kumar over ‘Saat Nischay’.
On Sunday, addressing a rally in Dumraon, Buxar in the run-up to polling in Bihar, Paswan said, ” I am making a promise to you today – the corruption in ‘7 Nischay’ (scheme) will be probed when LJP comes to power and those at fault, whether it is CM or any official, will be sent to jail.”
The Rs 2.7-lakh-crore ‘Saat Nishchay’ (Seven Resolves) scheme was announced by Nitish Kumar before the 2015 assembly elections which he had fought against the BJP as part of the Mahagathbandhan with RJD and Congress. Electricity, sewage connection, toilets, piped drinking water and metallic roads, water to farmer’s field were some of the components of the scheme, which was launched to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Rs 1.25 lakh crore special package for Bihar.
On October 10 Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced Janata Dal United’s (JDU’s) “7 Nischay part-2” plan for the development of the State and making it self-reliant in the coming years.
Targetting Nitish Kumar government’s ban on liquor sale in Bihar, Paswan said that everyone is getting liquor in the state.
“Why is the liquor ban not being reviewed? Is liquor smuggling not going on? Everyone is getting it. The government and administration are colluding. There is not one minister in the Bihar government who doesn’t know about it. If you don’t want to review it, it means you yourself are involved,” he said.
“Everyone knows where the money is going, the Chief Minister has to contest the election and do a lot of things. All of this is a matter of investigation. It will be investigated by our government – that where is all the money of liquor smuggling, ‘7 Nischay’ scheme and funds by centre going,” he added.
On being asked about the prospects of LJP in Bihar elections, Paswan said, “There is no doubt that the current Chief Minister will no longer be the Chief Minister of Bihar after November 10. We are contesting on more seats than Chief Minister’s party and we will win.”
Paswan, chief of the LJP–a former ally of the NDA–has been vocal in his criticism of Kumar, who is the chief ministerial candidate of the NDA. He has, however, pledged support to the Prime Minister, calling himself as “Modi’s Hanuman” Bihar Assembly elections will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3, and November 7. The result will be declared on November 10. (ANI)
