Opponents trying to politically assassinate me: Nitish Kumar

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday lamented that "baseless political analysis" was being done for his "principled stand" on demonetisation, proving that his "opponents are trying to politically assassinate" him.

“My opponents are trying to politically assassinate me by spreading canards that we are getting closer to the BJP,” Kumar said, according to reports.

"Nowadays, baseless analysis is being done for placing a view on a political issue," he said in an apparent dig at certain media reports suggesting that he was getting closer to the BJP by supporting the demonetisation.

"Efforts are on for a long time to end my political career through a sustained attack," Kumar said at a meeting of the JD(U) state Parliamentary party in Patna.

Kumar, who is also the JD(U) national president, said that he had been taking "principled stands" on issues concerning the nation from time to time.

"During the UPA rule, when the BJP-ruled states were opposing GST, I being in the NDA had supported it in the interest of Bihar and the country," he said.

The meeting was held at the residence of senior JD(U) leader and Deputy Leader of state Assembly Shyam Rajak and it was attended by party legislators of the Assembly and Council.

Seeking to clear the air, Kumar, who had led his party to sever ties with the BJP in mid-2013, said, "JD(U) will continue to struggle against the BJP-led Central government's divisive approach and attack on the federal structure (of the country) as well as intolerance."

A section of the media had reported that the Bihar chief minister's meeting with BJP chief Amit Shah at a farmhouse was a "prelude" to his support to demonetisation. Some reports had also suggested that he had a talk with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday over demonetisation.

Kumar, however, had rubbished these reports.

The JD(U) stayed away from today's nationwide strike against demonetisation, called by the opposition parties, which its alliance partners RJD and Congress supported by taking to the streets.

In his address to the JD(U) legislators, Kumar once again stressed that the demonetisation step should be coupled with an attack on 'benami' properties and prohibition for better results in the fight against black money.