The RJD and other opposition parties in Bihar on Thursday charged the BJP with trying to derive political mileage out of escalated tension with Pakistan and expressed dismay over Prime Narendra Modis interaction with booth-level workers in the midst of a national crisis.
They also deplored senior BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa for having said that the pre-emptive strikes at Balakot will help the party sweep the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka.
The leaders of the proposed Mahagathbandhan in the state questioned the decision of the NDA to hold a rally in the Bihar capital on March 03 at a time when we should be more concerned about the release of IAF officer Abhinandan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union minister Ramvilas Paswan would address the rally in Patna on Sunday to kickstart the ruling coalition's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in the politically crucial Bihar having 40 Parliamentary constituencies.
The Honourable Prime Minister must learn from the opposition parties which have put on hold their political programmes. While the entire nation is collectively praying for the safe return of our brave pilot, the Prime Minister is engaged in 'mera booth sabse mazboot'. This is unfortunate and tragic, RJD national spokesman and Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha said in a statement.
Jhas statement was in reference to cancellation of a public meeting at Jehanabad by Tejashwi Yadav and, its ally, the Congress cancelling the meeting of its apex body the CWC
scheduled in Gujarat.
The BJP leaderships decision to continue with their political rallies and other programmes in spite of the prevailing security situation unambiguously conveys that their ultimate aim is to pile up their political stock at the cost of our brave armed forces, which Yeddyurappa has gleefully expressed, Jha added.
The Prime Minister should realize that when it comes to national security concerns, narrow political concerns should be jettisoned.I appeal to him and his party to cancel all programmes including the rally scheduled at Patna on March 03, the RJD leader said.
Echoing similar sentiments, Bihar Congress working president Kaukab Qadri said at a time when opposition parties are cancelling programmes in solidarity with the armed forces, the ruling party must act with a sense of responsibility. The Prime Minister should concentrate on securing the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan instead of BJP programmes aimed at electoral success.
Statements to this effect were also issued by RLSP national general secretary Madhaw Anand and Hindustani Awam Morcha leader Santosh Kumar Manjhi.
The CPI(ML) Liberation also issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the BJP leadership for reaping political dividends out of tension with Pakistan.
Yeddyurappa has blatantly said the BJP would get electoral benefit from the IAF operations. Amit Shah is urging people to vote for Modi because responses were possible only under his leadership. And the Prime Minister is himself whiling away time on Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot, the ultra-Left outfits state secretary Kunal said in a statement.
We urge the people, the political leadership and the media of both the countries to exercise restraint and act thoughtfully. The competitive war-mongering does not augur well for either India or Pakistan, he added.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
