Nitish Kumar Meets Rahul Gandhi Amid Rift in Grand Alliance, Discusses Corruption Charges Against Tejashwi Yadav

The conversation comes at a time when ruling partners - JD(U) and RJD - are at loggerheads over the CBI-framed graft charges against Tejashwi.

Updated: July 22, 2017 9:16 PM IST

By Mohammed Uzair Shaikh

Nitish Kumar Meets Rahul Gandhi Amid Rift in Grand Alliance, Discusses Corruption Charges Against Tejashwi Yadav
Nitish Kumar on dias with Rahul Gandhi (File image/PTI)

New Delhi, July 22: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi at his Tughlaq Lane residence on Saturday, hours before attending the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in honour of outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee. According to reports, the two leaders deliberated upon the current political situation in Bihar, which has pushed the grand alliance on brink of break-up.

JD(U) sources, cited by reports, said Nitish spoke with Rahul over 40 minutes about the corruption allegations against his deputy and ally Lalu Prasad’s son Tejashwi Yadav. According to NDTV, Nitish told Rahul that Tejashwi has no moral right to continue as the Deputy CM. “He must step down,” the channel reported Nitish as saying.

The conversation comes at a time when JD(U) and RJD are at loggerheads over the CBI-framed graft charges against Tejashwi. While the former seeks his resignation, the Lalu Prasad-led party has ruled out the possibility of Tejashwi stepping down. ALSO READ: Nitish is wasting time meeting Rahul Gandhi: Sushil Modi

Congress, despite leaving it up to Nitish to take final call on Tejashwi’s place in his Cabinet, has expressed support for Lalu Prasad. The party’s central leadership has condemned the BJP government at Centre for using the CBI as a “tool for political vendetta”.

JD(U), on Friday, lashed out at Congress for backing RJD in the rift within grand alliance. Party’s national spokesperson Ajay Alok said secularism could not be pursued by turning a blind-eye to corruption. “Congress can’t fight the battle of secularism against fascist forces while being a party to corruption,” he was quoted as saying by TOI.

JD(U) had earlier warned of quitting the grand-alliance if RJD remains opposed to Tejashwi’s departure from the State Cabinet. “It will take 5 minutes for Nitish Kumar to quit the government. He will not allow his image to be dented,” JD(U) said, demanding RJD to either defend the charges levelled by CBI in the public, or compel Tejashwi to step down till the probe concludes in the case.

RJD, however, dismissed the option of Tejashwi’s resignation. On fending off the charges in public, Tejashwi is reported to be planning to launch a rebuttal against Centre on August 27, when the RJD has planned a grand rally in Patna.

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