Venomous statements by leaders to blame for Delhi violence,

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Tuesday launched a veiled attack on the BJP for the violence that erupted in Delhi, and questioned the failure of police to control law and order in the national capital.

Addressing a press meet here, RJD national spokesman Manoj Jha blamed "zahreele bayaan" (venomous statements) from leaders for the violence and arson - in an oblique reference to the saffron party's campaign for Delhi polls.

Jha also urged the Centre to give up its "obstinacy" with regard to the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and likened Union Minister Amit Shah's assertion that the government "will not move back an inch" to the stubbornness that had led to the epic battle of Mahabharata.

 

"It should be remembered that Lord Krishna had approached Duryodhana with the proposal for a truce in exchange for just five villages. The Kaurava prince rebuffed the offer and asserted that sui ki nok barabar (equivalent to the area that a needle can pierce) land would not be yielded. The battle ensued and ruin was wrought upon Hastinapur," the Rajya Sabha member said.

"The CAA is a law which, if implemented, would make India like Israel," said Jha in an indirect reference to the Sangh Parivar's pitch for a 'Hindu Rashtra' and added that "this is the land of Mahatma Gandhi and it cannot give up the path shown by him".

Clashes have erupted between pro- and anti-citizenship law protesters in Delhi, resulting in at least 10 deaths.

Casting doubts over Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's assertion that NRC "will not be implemented in Bihar", Jha said, "He has changed his stand on various issues too many times and cannot be trusted anymore. He opposed triple talaq but later gave in meekly. He initially opposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill but ended up supporting it in Parliament.

"It would be better if Kumar merges his JD(U) with the BJP," Jha quipped.

About the possibility of expelled JD(U) leader and election strategist Prashant Kishor working for the RJD and the Grand Alliance which it leads, in the forthcoming assembly polls, Jha evaded a direct reply and said "issues, and not individuals, are going to matter in elections".