Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched a blistering attack on the grand alliance, likening it to "3 idiots", as he dared Nitish Kumar to seize "convicted" RJD chief Lalu Prasad's properties and questioned Congress president Sonia Gandhi's silence on sting videos of JD(U) and RJD MLAs accepting bribes.
Addressing back to back election rallies in Sitamarhi and Bettiah, Modi rubbished Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's good governance claims, citing sting operations which allegedly showed two JD(U) MLAs, including a minister, and an RJD legislator accepting bribes.
Modi said it was part of a plan to "sell" Bihar and questioned Congress president Sonia Gandhi's silence on it.
"Madam Soniaji, you also answer this. Speak something. What do you have to say about this exchange of money in front of camera. Do you think this was a small transaction? Do you think it should have been bigger? Do you think they took the money but did not distribute the share?
"The Congress party is engaging in all sorts of baseless allegations to mislead you (the people) but is keeping its mouth shut when Bihar is being sold," Modi said, addressing a rally in Bettiah.
Taking Nitish Kumar head on over his 'Bihari' versus 'Bahari' (outsider) pitch, Modi said," Prime Minister cannot be called an outsider as he has equal stakes in all states of the country like a Chief Minister has in all districts of his state."
Seeking to corner Kumar on the corruption issue, Modi latched on to the sting vides of two JD(U) MLAs taking bribe.
"Nitishji used to say he will seize property of the corrupt and open a school there. Leave others but ensure this in case of the person with whom you have allied--Lalu Prasad, who has been convicted by the court. Seize Lalu's property and open a school there. At least work truly once," he said.
Modi also hit back at Nitish who had yesterday mouthed a limerick set to a film song to attack him, while equating the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance to '3 Idiots'. He also advised the JD(U) leader to perfect the art of "Mushaira" and practise it at leasure after the Bihar polls.
"I have been noticing that Laluji entertains well and Bihar is getting some entertainment after many years. But these days there is an intense rivalry going on between Laluji and Nitishji on many issues--protecting the criminals, doing nepotism, breaking off from truth. Now the competition is also in the field of entertainment.
"Yesterday, I saw Nitishji doing some Mushaira. He felt that he will call some courtiers and journalists, recite poems and defeat Lalu by starting a new form of entertainment. I knew there are three partners in the grand alliance--Congress RJD and JD(U). But I wonder why Nitish Babu chose a song from the film Three Idiots for his first Mushaira. Even if you wanted to parody a poem why did you think of the Three Idiots," Modi said addressing a rally in Sitamarhi.
Kumar, the grand alliance's chief ministerial candidate, had yesterday mocked Modi for not keeping promises and his frequent trips abroad using a song from Bollywood blockbuster 'Three Idiots'.
