PATNA: Union Minister Anurag Thakur launched a scathing attack on opposition parties ahead of their scheduled meeting in Patna on June 23. Thakur urged the opposition leaders to question Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar about the alleged corruption plaguing the state.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, the minister said, “Those opposition parties that are going to Bihar must ask Nitish Kumar about the corruption that is going on there…this shouldn’t be an alliance of corrupted parties. They should also say who is the leader of their alliance…”
#WATCH | Mumbai: Those opposition parties that are going to Bihar must ask Nitish Kumar about the corruption that is going on there…this shouldn't be an alliance of corrupted parties. They should also say who is the leader of their alliance…": Anurag Thakur, Union Minister on… pic.twitter.com/OcnIk1ExTm
— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2023
The opposition meeting, originally planned for June 12, was postponed due to the prior commitments of key leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and DMK Chief MK Stalin. However, the rescheduled meeting on June 23 in Patna aims to bring together opposition leaders to form a united front against the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In his criticism of Nitish Kumar, Thakur highlighted specific instances of alleged corruption. He raised concerns about a collapsed bridge worth ₹1,750 crore, which he said ‘the opposition leaders going to Bihar must ask Nitish Kumar about bridge which has collapsed like a pack of cards several times, and also questioned the Bihar CM about a multi-crore rupee ambulance scam and other scams involving builders.
Prominent figures expected to attend the meeting include Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, MK Stalin, Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi Chief Minister), Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal Chief Minister), Uddhav Thackeray (former Maharashtra Chief Minister), Sharad Pawar (Nationalist Congress Party Chief), and Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party Chief).
Notably, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had recently hinted at the possibility of early Lok Sabha elections during an event. He mentioned being informed during a rural development department meeting that all projects should be completed by January 2024, adding that nobody knows when the general elections might be held and they could even take place earlier than scheduled.
As the opposition gears up for their crucial meeting in Patna, questions surrounding corruption and leadership will likely take center stage. The outcome of this gathering and subsequent actions by the opposition parties could have significant implications for the political landscape and the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.