Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for using President's statement as an 'alibi', Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today asked him to show courage to condemn the Dadri lynching incident in 'unequivocal terms' and dared him to a debate.
"He should show courage and speak directly to the people of the country and condemn the lynching (at Dadri) in unequivocal terms. He is not responding to the incident directly. If he has a clear conscience then rather than using the President's statement (on tolerance and preserving plurality) as an alibi he should have unequivocally condemned the issue and spoken clearly on it," Kumar said in a chat on Twitter.
Daring the prime minister to a debate, Kumar said he has been forced to do so in the absence of a chief ministerial candidate by BJP.
"I am forced to dare him for a debate because he's trying to take the additional charge as CM of Bihar as well. Logic is simple. Either he and his party should nominate a CM candidate for Bihar who I'd be happy to debate, or he should be ready for the debate himself," Kumar said.
Prime Minister in his public meeting at Nawada during the day had said "It is unity, communal harmony, brotherhood and peace that will take the nation forward."
He had also referred to President Pranab Mukherjee's speech and asked the people to follow his message yesterday on preserving the core civilisational values of diversity, tolerance and plurality.
Asked to comment on the prime minister referring to the secular alliance as 'Mahaswaarth Bandhan', Kumar said the alliance has been formed with only one agenda - of taking Bihar on a "development journey".
"The alliance is a political reality. I have repeated many times that mahagathbandhan is guided by the idea of development with justice and has only one agenda - that Bihar continues on the development journey," he said.
On the language being used in election rallies in Bihar by leaders of political parties, Kumar said it was the Prime Minister who had lowered the dignity of the debate.
"I always believe in the use of decent language in political discourse. However, it is for everyone to see how the Prime Minister himself has lowered the dignity of the debate and his colleagues in BJP and NDA are just continuing on the same lines," he said.
On surveys predicting either a tough fight between the two alliances in the state or gains for BJP led NDA, Kumar said "Surveys and their accuracy and authenticity are best left to be analysed by journalists and commentators."