Patna (Bihar): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday slammed JD(U) national general secretary Pavan Varma for publicly questioning the party's tie-up with the BJP for Delhi assembly elections, saying he was "free to go" wherever he likes.
Kumar, who heads the JD(U), also expressed strong displeasure over Varma sharing on social media a letter wherein he had made mention of the chief minister having expressed apprehensions "in private" about the BJP's "divisive" agenda.
"He is a learned man for whom I have a lot of respect even if he may not have similar sentiments for me. But is it proper to share such things in public and not on a party forum? What if I start sharing what he said to me in public?", Kumar told reporters here.
Responding to Varma's repeated demands for "ideological clarity", Kumar said, "The JD(U)'s stand is very clear...he is free to go wherever he likes".
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This is the letter I have written to @NitishKumar today asking him how the JD(U) has formed an alliance with the BJP for the Delhi elections, given his own views on the BJP, and the massive national outrage against the divisive CAA-NPR-NRC scheme. pic.twitter.com/ErSynnuiYm
— Pavan K. Varma (@PavanK_Varma) January 21, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">This is the letter I have written to @NitishKumar today asking him how the JD(U) has formed an alliance with the BJP for the Delhi elections, given his own views on the BJP, and the massive national outrage against the divisive CAA-NPR-NRC scheme. pic.twitter.com/ErSynnuiYm
— Pavan K. Varma (@PavanK_Varma) January 21, 2020This is the letter I have written to @NitishKumar today asking him how the JD(U) has formed an alliance with the BJP for the Delhi elections, given his own views on the BJP, and the massive national outrage against the divisive CAA-NPR-NRC scheme. pic.twitter.com/ErSynnuiYm
— Pavan K. Varma (@PavanK_Varma) January 21, 2020
Earlier on January 21, Varma demanded a "full statement" from Nitish Kumar on the party's stand on Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Population Register, after having caused a flutter with a letter addressed to the party chief questioning the tie-up with the BJP in Delhi.
"Nitish Kumar has said that NRC will not be implemented in Bihar while on NPR and CAA he has acknowledged the need for further discussions. But even on these issues, I say that he comes out with a full statement, the career diplomat turned politician, who has ruffled many feathers by sharing screenshots of his two-page letter on social media, said.
"There is a need for ideological clarity as to whether, in the light of our party's constitution, we stand with the BJP which has its own ideology and priorities.. in the light of the country-wide protests, even an old BJP ally like the Akali Dal has shied away from an alliance with it in Delhi assembly polls on this issue. It must, therefore, be known what impelled the JD(U) to take such a step," he added.
Read: States have right to express opinion, Centre should pay heed to their views, says Pawan Varma on NPR
