Modi destroying country: Kushwaha.

Dejected by Modi’s leadership, ally Kushwaha quits NDA, govt

Union Cabinet reduced to mere rubber stamp; all decisions taken by Modi, Shah

Agency Report | New Delhi/Patna | 10 December, 2018 | 08:00 PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bihar ally Upendra Kushwaha quit the government and exited the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Monday in a move anticipated for months because of his growing resentment with the ruling party and its seat-share deal with another ally, Nitish Kumar, for the 2019 national polls. "I stand dejected and betrayed by your leadership," Kushwaha said in an acrid letter to PM Modi. Kushwaha is now expected to join a big opposition meet to discuss a common strategy to fight the BJP next year.

RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha on Monday quit the BJP-led NDA and the Modi government, charging Prime Minister Narendra Modi with betraying Bihar and with pursuing an “opaque style of functioning and non-democratic leadership style”.

Kushwaha, who is the second BJP ally to quit the Modi government after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), said in his resignation to Modi that the Union Cabinet “has been reduced to a mere rubber stamp”.

“Constitutional offices are being undermined and virtually every institution in the government has been subjected to political appropriation,” he said in the letter, echoing the charges increasingly made by the opposition.

“Ministers and officers posted in ministries have become figureheads as virtually all decisions are taken by you, your office and BJP President (which is anti-Constitutional).”

The Rashtriya Lok Samata Party leader said the government was pursuing “the agenda of RSS” which he said was “anti-Constitutional and neglecting and subverting the agenda of social justice enshrined in the Constitution for which we supported the NDA”.

Kushwaha has been at loggerheads with both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) for some time. As meetings he had sought with Modi and BJP President Amit Shah did not materialize, he came for praise from RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.

“Having served in your Council of Ministers for the last 55 months, I stand dejected and betrayed by your leadership,” he said in the letter sent to Modi.

“There has been a fundamental conflict in what you have promised to the people before elections and what you have actually delivered after coming to power.”

“The promise of providing a special package (to Bihar) has been the biggest ‘jumla’,” he said in the resignation letter.

“The fact of the matter is that under your leadership grave and unprecedented injustice has been committed upon the people of Bihar, I say with a sense of deep regret and sorrow.”

He told the media that the government had been working to the agenda of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and that many with RSS background had been made Vice Chancellors across the country.

Asked if he would join an opposition alliance or merge his party with Sharad Yadav’s Loktantrik Janata Dal or work for a third alternative in Bihar, he said: “All options are open for us. We would be taking a call in the coming days.”
Hours after Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) leader Upendra Kushwaha quit, his party is a divided house.

Unhappy over the decision of Kushwaha, RLSP’s two legislators in the Bihar openly expressed their opposition to it and a senior party leader called it bad move.

RLSP’s Sudhnshu Sekhar and Lalan Paswan said they did not agree with Kushwaha and said they would continue with the NDA.

Sudhansu Sekhar also hinted that he may join the Janata Dal-United of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar soon.

Lalan Paswan added: “I am strongly in favour of continuing in NDA.”

A senior RLSP leader, Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha, who is General Secretary, has urged Upendar Kushwaha to have a rethink.

According to informed sources here, RLSP will join the opposition Grand Alliance. The RLSP will be the second BJP ally in Bihar to quit the NDA after HAM of former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. (IANS)