Nitish brushes aside Pavan Varma’s take on JD(U) alliance with BJP

Responding to party colleague Pavan Varma who had questioned the rationale behind aligning with the BJP for the Delhi polls, at a time when the nation is being rocked by anti-CAA protests, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Janata Dal (United) leader, on Thursday (January 23), said that the former foreign service officer is free to leave the party and join any outfit of his choice.

Nitish told reporters, “He can go and join any party he likes, my best wishes.”

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Referring to the letter tweeted by Pavan Varma in which he had recalled conversations that Nitish reportedly had with him in which the latter had expressed reservations about the ideology of the BJP and its mentor the RSS, Nitish said, “To give this kind of statement…it is surprising. Is this a way to talk?”

Calling upon Nitish to match his private utterances with his public posture and action, Varma had asked as to how the Janata dal (United) could fight the Delhi polls in the company of the BJP when even long-time allies like the Akali Dal have distanced itself from the saffron party.

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“On more than one occasion, you have expressed your grave apprehensions about the BJP-RSS combine. If these are your real views, I fail to understand how the JDU is now extending its alliance with the BJP beyond Bihar, when even long standing allies of the BJP, like the Akali Dal, have refused to do so,” Varma had written.

The former IFS officer had also pointed to the private conversation which Nitish had with him during the course of which the latter called for an RSS-mukt Bharat.

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