Patna (Bihar): Janata Dal-United (JDU) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha on Friday launched a scathing attack on Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal after he urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to "consider the impact" of the alleged controversial remarks by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on BR Ambedkar.
Speaking to ANI, Jha slammed Kejriwal, by pointing out that when Nitish Kumar resigned from the CM post, he made a Mahadalit' (Jitan Ram Manjhi in 2014-15) the Chief Minister. He further questioned why did he not appoint a Dalit CM in Delhi, upon resigning or in Punjab.
Scathing former Delhi CM Kejriwal over the situation of Purvanchali labourers during the Covid-19 era, the JDU leader said that when Kejriwal sent people of Bihar in "packed in buses," it was Nitish Kumar who made all the arrangements for them.
"He wrote a letter to Nitish Kumar, so I want to say one thing that when Nitish Kumar left the post of Chief Minister, he made a Dalit the Chief Minister of Bihar. He (Arvind Kejriwal) did not look at his track record. When Kejriwal left the CM post, whom did he make the CM or why did he not make a Dalit CM in Punjab?" Jha told ANI.
"People from Purvanchal, Bihar living in Delhi have seen how people from Bihar were packed in buses and sent back during Covid. And then Nitish Kumar made all the arrangements for them in Bihar. So it is better if Kejriwal does not say all this," he added.
Taking a dig at AAP national convenor, Jha posted on X and said Kejriwal was pained because Amit Shah was exposing the leader of his alliance (INDIA), his party and his family. He said that the "misbehaviour" of the Congress Party and its leaders towards Baba Saheb is "unforgivable."
Highlighting the works of Nitish Kumar towards the Dalit community, Jha said that the INDIA bloc cannot even imagine doing the level of work which Nitish Kumar has done for the Dalits and backward classes in Bihar while following in the footsteps of Baba Saheb.
JDU working president urged Kejriwal to "leave prejudices" and "think positively" about the progress of the country as "the constitution of India is very strong."
In a social media post on X, Jha wrote, "Honorable @ArvindKejriwal Sir, I read your letter to the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Bihar @NitishKumar. I can understand your real pain. Your pain is that on that day in the House, the Hon'ble Home Minister @AmitShah was exposing the leader of your alliance, his party and his family....The misbehaviour that the Congress Party and its leaders did to Baba Saheb is unforgivable.... What our leader, the honourable Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar ji has done for the Dalits and backward classes in Bihar by following in the footsteps of Baba Saheb, you and the leaders of your alliance cannot even imagine doing that. I urge you to leave your prejudices and think positively about the progress of the country. The constitution of this country is very strong.
The JDU working president also wrote a letter to Arvind Kejriwal, elaborating on the work done by Nitish Kumar for the Dalits and the backward class of society, including giving them reservations in the Panchayati Raj system
The letter dated December 20, reads, "Congress party was continuously in power in Bihar till 1990 and from 1990 to 2005 it enjoyed power with RJD. In 2015, Dalits and backward castes got reservation in Panchayati Raj system when Shri Nitish Kumar Ji became the Chief Minister. Where did the faith of your alliance leaders and their party in the Constitution and their love for Baba Saheb go then?"
"I will give you an example of how Dalits and backward classes are respected. When our leader Mr. Nitish Kumar resigned from the post of Chief Minister in 2014, he made Mr. Jitan Ram Manjhi, who comes from the Mahadalit community, the Chief Minister," the letter reads.
On December 19, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal wrote letters to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, urging them to consider the impact of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's allegedly controversial statement about former Minister of Law and Justice, BR Ambedkar.
Kejriwal's letters followed Shah's remarks made on Wednesday in the Rajya Sabha, which, according to the AAP leader, 'insulted' the legacy of Ambedkar.
"If they had taken the name of God so many times instead of Ambedkar, they would have got heaven for seven lives," the Union Minister said in the Upper House.
In his letter to Kumar and Naidu, Kejriwal expressed his concern over the Home Minister's statement in Parliament, where Shah reportedly said, "Chanting Ambedkar-Ambedkar has become a fashion these days." Kejriwal stated that Shah's remark "is not only disrespectful but also reveals the BJP's perspective toward Babasaheb and our Constitution."
"Babasaheb Ambedkar was honoured with a 'Doctor of Laws' degree by Columbia University, he authored the Indian Constitution, and he championed equal rights for the most marginalised sections of society. How did the BJP have the audacity to make such a comment about him?" the former Delhi CM questioned in his letter to the Andhra and Bihar CMs.
"This has hurt the sentiments of millions of people across the country," Kejriwal wrote, adding that instead of apologising, Amit Shah defended his statement. He also noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly supported Shah's remark, which, according to Kejriwal, made the situation even worse.
Kejriwal warned that people who admire Ambedkar are increasingly feeling they cannot support the BJP. He urged Naidu to consider the matter carefully, stating, "Babasaheb is not just a leader, he is the soul of this country. After this statement by the BJP, people expect you to deeply reflect on this issue as well."
