Updated
Muzaffarpur (Bihar), Jul 25 (PTI): Kickstarting NDA's poll campaign in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today focussed his attack on former BJP ally and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accusing him of "back-stabbing" the people of the state and alleging that there is some problem with his "DNA".
Modi also targeted Kumar for allying with RJD, saying he was trying to drag the state back to the 'jungle raj', and asked the voters to reject such people as they "cannot be trusted" again and elect NDA with a two-third majority for changing Bihar's fate.
He said Bihar will be given a special package "bigger" than Rs 50,000 crore which he had promised earlier and that will be announced after the end of Monsoon session of Parliament as his "lips are sealed till then".
Addressing a public meeting here, he said Kumar practices "political untouchability" as he recalled how the JD(U) leader had refused to entertain him after inviting him over dinner and had snapped ties with BJP because of his dislike towards him two years back.
Modi took a dig at Lalu for his comments about "drinking poison", which was made in an apparent reference to his accepting Kumar's leadership. He said while he had chosen to do so for his "vested interest", why was he forcing the people of Bihar to "drink poison" along with him.
"During the last elections, Kumar had said that if he was unable to provide electricity to entire Bihar, he would not come to ask for votes again in 2015...But have you got the electricity? It has not come. But he has come to ask for votes. He betrayed your trust.
Forget me, he even back-stabbed you. Such people cannot be trusted again," he said.
Seeking to play a dalit card, he said Kumar had practised "political untouchability" not only towards him but also a "mahadalit" former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, an erstwhile leader of JD(U), who has since joined NDA.
He said even George Fernandes, former associate of Nitish Kumar, and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, were not treated well by him even though they had worked shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
"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," he said.
Modi also took a dig at Kumar for his tweet just before he landed in Bihar, saying the Chief Minister had welcomed his arrival with a complaint that he was visiting the state after 14 months.
"Chief Minister, I am grateful for the welcome...How times change...There was a time when you used to say that 'we already have one Modi (Sushil Kumar), so what is the need for another Modi to come to Bihar," he said, while recalling how Kumar had been strongly resisting his entry into the state.
"But, see today, how much one can be troubled by separation from the loved ones...When you love somebody so much, even a day's separation is too much... Don't worry, I have come now. There will be no further separation," Modi said in comments full of sarcasm.
Responding to Kumar's dig at him for coming after 14 months, Modi said, "the last Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) visited the state only once in 10 years, that too for an aerial survey. But my coming here after 14 months is too much for him."
Seeking a two-third mandate for NDA in Bihar in the Assembly polls expected later this year, he told the voters that they had tried every other party and formation and should give the BJP-led coalition a chance this time.
"I have come here to change the fate of Bihar," he said.
Modi said Bihar will prosper if NDA is in power, both at the Centre and in the state, as he promised all support from his government to take the state to new heights, with 24-hour power supply.
In this context, he said Bihar has huge potential because of its resources but it has been pushed to backwardness and there have been no efforts to develop it.
"Some people make promises and back out later. When you remind them, they feel bad about it. We make promises and fulfill them," the Prime Minister said, while talking about according 'Special Category' status to Bihar.
Noting that he had promised to give a special package of Rs 50,000 crore to the state during Lok Sabha polls, he said that after becoming the Prime Minister, he had realised that the amount is not sufficient.
"I had envisioned a picture of a developed Bihar. The amount of Rs 50,000 crore will not be sufficient for it. That is why I have decided to give a bigger package. But since Parliament is in session, my lips are sealed. Once Parliament session ends, I will again come and tell you how much it is," the Prime Minister said, adding "This is just the beginning."
Happy over the gathering at the rally, Modi said it reflected that NDA would get even a bigger mandate in the Assembly elections than the Lok Sabha polls, when the alliance got 33 out of 40.
Earlier Report
Modi arrives in Patna to kick-start BJP's poll campaign; Nitish poses 7 questions
Patna, Jul 25 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Saturday on a day-long visit, during which he will also address a public meeting in Muzaffarpur to kick-start BJP's campaign for the upcoming Bihar assembly polls.
"Modi arrived at the Patna airport by a special Indian Air Force aircraft," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Vikash Vaibhav said.
He was received by Governor K.N. Tripathi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Nearly 2,000 policemen have been deployed here for Modi's security.
Tight security arrangements were made after the intelligence agencies warned of a possible "human bomb attack" on Modi on the lines of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, a top police officer said.
Four suspects, including three alleged Maoists, were arrested in the morning and were interrogated, police said.
Modi will launch Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay Rashtriya Gramin Joyti Yojna and inaugurate the new campus of IIT here.
He will inaugurate Daniyawan-Biharsharief new rail line and inauguration of construction work of phase-1 of Jagdishpur-Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline here.
Besides, Modi will launch and lay the foundation stone for incubation centre for medical electronics at IIT-Patna.
Modi will attend two other functions in Patna before leaving for Muzaffarpur, around 70 km from Patna, to address a public meeting where he is likely to launch Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign for the forthcoming state assembly polls.
Modi's rally at Gandhi Maidan here was rocked by serial bomb blasts on October 27, 2013, leaving five people dead and nearly 100 injured.
Nitish Kumar poses seven questions to PM Narendra Modi
Patna, Jul 25 (PTI): As Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Bihar to kick-start his party's poll campaign, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Saturday launched an attack on him, posing seven questions to him on retrieval of black money, farmers' issues and the promises he had made to the state during Lok Sabha polls.
"I am raising 7 critical issues-2 specific to Bihar and 5 that in my view people across India want to hear from the Prime Minister," Kumar said in a tweet.
Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, he said, "We're grateful after 14 months Modiji finds time to visit Bihar as we get ready to hear more promises what about the old ones?"
"You promised special status for Bihar. 14 months and people are still waiting," the chief minister said in his posers to the PM.
"With 14th Finance Commission report and withdrawal of BRGF (Backward Regional Grant Fund), Bihar to lose Rs 50,000 crore in five years. Is this your cooperative federalism?" he asked.
"People are awaiting to get their Rs 15-20 lakh from the black money you promised to bring back from abroad. Could we hear something on this?" he asked.
"First U-turn on MSP, then your apathy towards farmers' distress and finally your new land bill. Is this what you promised to farmers?" he asked.
"By 2022 you have promised house for everybody with facility of electricity and water. How would be fulfilled without allocation of fund or any plan so far?" he asked.
"You started Jan Dhan scheme in the way to make people believe that it's not only a bank account, but it's opening peoples fortune. Today more than 70 per cent accounts are ineffective. Nobody knows how poor would be benefited from such bank accounts?" he asked.
Kumar also alleged that a few capitalists had benefited from the central government and asked when 'acche din' would come for the common man.
With PM visit to Bihar coming ahead of crucial Assembly Elections, Kumar, whose hostility towards him is well known, has set the stage for political fireworks by posing the questions.