'PM making shallow comments as he is disturbed by falling GDP'

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asked the prime minister not to make new promises to Bihar but "show moral courage" and ensure implementation of all the promises made till date.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on "package" saying he made such "shallow" comments as he was "disturbed" due to fall in the GDP and Sensex in the country under his rule.

"Can the Centre stop the money given to states from Finance Commission. This money is from internal resources of the states. Will the prime minister of the country make such a shallow remark?

"The GDP under the Government of India is falling. Sensex has fallen. I think he is definitely disturbed otherwise why should a prime minister speak like this," Kumar told reporters at a press conference.

His remarks came after Modi, who addressed an election rally in Bhagalpur on Tuesday accused Kumar of having "cheated" the people with the so-called development package of Rs 2.7 lakh crore, insisting it was merely the sum of annual budgets of Rs 50 to 55 thousand crore each year over five years.

Contrasting it with the package announced by him, Modi said the development proposals worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore promised by the Centre was beyond Rs 3.75 lakh crore that the state would get towards its annual budget from the Finance Commission.

"It needs to be asked where would the rest of Rs 1.76 lakh crore go if the state only gives Rs 2.7 lakh crore. Will it go the fodder scam way," Modi said, taking a jibe at Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, who has been convicted in the fodder scam and barred from contesting elections.

"This is an attempt to befool the people of Bihar. This is an attempt cheat them. They should realise no one can befool the people of Bihar," Modi said.

Reacting sharply to it, Kumar said the prime minister may have "denied" even this money to states even from the Finance Commission if he had this power but this is the Constitutional arrangement.

"The prime minister said it was a gift to Bihar, where as the fact is that it is our money," he said reminding Modi that he was also a chief minister in the past.

Earlier, Kumar had asked the PM not to make new promises to Bihar but "show moral courage" and ensure implementation of all the promises made till date.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fourth rally in Bhagalpur on Tuesday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asked him not to make new promises to Bihar but "show moral courage" and ensure implementation of all the pledges made till date.

"Show moral courage. No new promises please. Outline a credible action plan to deliver on the promises you have made to the people till date," he said in a series of tweets.

The chief minister asked the prime minister to live up to his 2014 election promise of decriminalisation and not announce tickets to candidates with criminal background.

Image: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at the Swabhiman rally in Patna's Gandhi Maidan. Photographs: PTI Photo