Rajgir (Bihar), Oct 29 (PTI): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today hit back at Narendra Modi, comparing him to Hitler and said his desperate dream to unfurl national flag at Red Fort would remain unfulfilled.
Days after Modi launched an no-holds barred attack on him in a Patna rally, he rejected the accusation that he had "betrayed and backstabbed" socialist stalwarts like Jaiprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia.
Kumar said Modi neither has "sweetness in his voice" nor "patience" required of somebody aspiring for the top post and questioned his knowledge of history.
"When had I deserted JP's ideology? Just because JP comes in BJP, he (Modi) made the allegation by linking the two together as it rhymes.... Lohia brought parties together to fight Congress. BJP is walking its own path alone. Where is the comparison," he said in his address to his party JD(U)'s convention, accusing BJP of weakening the fight against Congress.
Modi, the Chief Minister said, believed in repeating a lie hundred times to make it sound true. All this talk about Modi wave is also part of this misinformation campaign and there is no truth in it, he alleged.
"His dream to unfurl national flag at Red Fort would remain a dream," Kumar said.
"It is not just dictatorship. It is fascism and those who believe in fascism, their icon is Hilter. They they will do what Hitler did. Hitler's propaganda minister would tell a lie hundreds of times and it would seem to be true. The same thing is happening here now," he said.
Dismissing Modi's barb that he was dreaming to become prime minister, he asked when did he dream to become PM but added that such an aspiration was not a bad thing.
"Gujaratis are very fond of ice-creams but this sweetness is not visible in his (Modi) speech. He kept drinking water, wiping sweat and cursing me... The man dreaming to be on the country's highest post should be sober, why this unnecessary excitement and hurry?
"You can create hype around an individual but it can't ensure your victory. Bihar's poor will vote for those who fight for them. Those aspiring for the top post must speak sweetly with everybody and take everyone along," he said.
Kumar also picked holes in Modi's references to some of their meetings where he alleged that the JD(U) leader was uncomfortable in his presence while sharing a table with him over lunch.
"These are incorrect," he said referring to Modi's claim that he had was not taking food and water at a lunch hosted by the Prime Minister and that the Gujarat leader had to comfort him saying that there were no cameras around.
He also dismissed claim that Modi had served Kumar 'khaman and dhokla' to his heart's content after which he had praised the Gujarat Chief Minister at a lunch in his state years ago.
"When did he host me. What I remember is that I attended the function of the Chief Justice. He (Modi) was a guest and I too was a guest there," Kumar said.
Modi keeps harping about his early days as a tea-seller, Kumar said, adding that he also came from an ordinary family but never made a fuss about it.
"I am the son of a freedom fighter. I am also from an ordinary background.I am an ordinary man, anything can be said against me.
"One can't be a backward leader by just being born in such a family. What you have done for backward castes is important. I do not have the experience of selling tea in stations," he said
On Modi's remarks that Kumar had returned the aid for Kosi flood victims sent by Gujarat, the Bihar Chief Minister said that in Indian culture one does not praise oneself.
"Gujarat government sent money for Kosi flood victims and then they started advertising that they had helped Bihar. If one helps someone, then it should not be advertised. The cheque was returned and then they encashed it."
Questioning him on history, Kumar said, "I also have knowledge of history. I never left Jaiprakash Narayan. He said I backstabbed JP and Ram Manohar Lohia. In fact JP and Lohia had taken on these forces head on and also forced them into corner. I have never compromised on my principles and followed the path shown by JP and Lohia."
In a point-by-point rebuttal in his 90-minute speech, Kumar, Kumar said that while speaking against him at the Patna rally, Modi had in his "excitement" given out wrong historical information.
Acting like a "knowledgeable person", Modi referred to Chandragupta as great king of Gupta dynasty instead of Maurya dynasty which ruled from Patliputra which is now Patna.
"The BJP leader in excitement cited wrong history by saying Taxila was a great historical site in Bihar which is wrong as the place is in North-West Pakistan. Chanakya, the great economist who had written 'Arthasashtra', was a teacher there before coming to Patliputra," a smiling Kumar said, adding he had even visited there once.
"King Alexender had never reached Ganga as he was stopped at river Satluj itself," he said.
He urged the people to ensure that communal forces do not emerge victorious. "Let not your difference lead to communal violence. Let the dream to hoist the Indian flag at the Red Fort be a dream only."
Tracing the events that led to the split Kumar blamed the BJP for breaking the 17-year-old alliance with the JDU.
"What did we want? We suggested that the leader for the prime minister's post should be someone who is accepted by all, someone who works for all.
"If you have to win, there should be single target. You (BJP) have set two targets, one to remove Congress and the second is to take all the credit. It is wrong to blame us whereas you have betrayed us," he said.
"Yesterday you were with me and you would appreciate and praise me. Now that we are not allies and you are finding faults with me," he said.