Nitish Kumar dismissive of allegations levelled by Upendra Kushwaha

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday declined to respond specifically to allegations levelled by party leader Upendra Kushwaha, who claimed that he was invited to join the JD-U by him only.

Nitish Kumar, who was furious over Upendra Kushwaha for the last one week, took a more controlled approach on Friday, saying that he does not want to comment on him.

"The questions about him come from the media. I was avoiding him. If he had any problem, he would have talked within the party," he said.

"He was trying to join the JD-U 7 to 8 months before the merger in 2021. He had talked to me and then I allowed him to join the party. He was doing well within the party. Suddenly, he started talking about lots of things. If he has anything in mind, he should have to talk within the party and not go for the press conference and tweet," Nitish Kumar said.

Asked about Kushwaha's claim that the first call was made from the CM's residence in 2021 and he requesting Kushwaha to join the party in 2009, Nitish Kumar declined to answer, saying he was the one who sent Kushwaha to the Rajya Sabha, and then, the state Legislative Council, and he became an MP once from another party.

Nitish Kumar also refused to take Kushwaha's challenge to swear on his son's head, saying that these things have no meaning. "People of old generation would tell you what works we have done in the past were," he said.

"Upendra Kushwaha has no value in the JD-U, we obtained only 43 seats in 2020 Assembly election and I am in immense pain over it. Everyone knows who cheated us. We had transferred our votes to the BJP and they did not do the same. Kushwaha is saying that the party is weakening. I am doing Samadhan Yatra in Bihar and getting a huge response," he said.