Modi govt anti-poor, says Nitish

SUPAUL: Making a blistering attack on PM Narendra Modi led NDA government for its anti-farmer and anti-poor bias, former CM Nitish Kumar on Sunday asked his party men and supporters to go hammer and tongs against the Centre’s policies which were bound to further widen the gap between the people across the country.
Addressing a meeting on Lukhichand High School campus at Simrahi in Supaul district in course of his much ‘sampark yatra’ on Sunday, Nitish punched hole in his old bête noir Narendra Modi for riding roughshod over the overall concerns of the farmers for whom farming was the only means of livelihood.
National JD (U) chief Sharad Yadav, who also shared dais with Nitish, threatened to take up the farmers’ cause in Parliament and vowed to ‘fight tooth and nail the anti-poor policies of the NDA government and its stand on minimum support price line”. Bihar ministers Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Narendra Narayan Yadav were also present on the occasion.
“What is now preventing PM Narendra Modi from retrieving the black money stashed in foreign banks when he was so categorical in doing so in his 100 days in office,” asked Nitish and derided him for taking the country for a ride during his high decibel political rhetoric during the Lok Sabha election campaign. “He has not only gone back on this promise, but also betrayed the nation by making lofty promises and then backtracking on them,” Nitish roared, pointing how his government has failed in finding jobs for the large number of unemployed youth.
Rapping the government on its much-hyped Jan Dhan Yojana, Nitish said contrary to the loud claims that 7.5 crore bank accounts had been opened across the country, more than half the bank accounts are still to become operative. Besides, even funds for schemes like Indira Awas Yojna, PM Gramin Sadak Yojana, MNREGA have been slashed adding to the woes of the farmers and others, he said.