Freudian slip by Nitish, calls Tejashwi CM
28 Sep 2022 11:55:56
Patna, Sept 28: A purported slip of the tongue from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, addressing his deputy Tejashwi Prasad Yadav as “mukhyamantri” at an event here, became the source of taunts and counters among BJP and ruling allies JD(U) and RJD on Tuesday.
The BJP took a dig at the Chief Minister, saying it’s time for Nitish to “go to ashram”. The allies used the “slip-up” to flaunt their growing bond.
Introducing other leaders on the dais at an Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Department event to hand over appointment letters to those selected as veterinary and district fisheries officers, Nitish called his deputy “mananiya mukhyamantri (honorable chief minister) Tejashwi Prasad Yadav”. Nitish did not correct his “slip of the tongue” and went ahead with the speech. Not letting the slip-up opportunity slip, BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said, “It appears Nitish Kumar has consciously or subconsciously accepted Tejashwi as CM. It is really time for Nitish Kumar to go to (an) ashram.” The BJP’s “ashram” jibe came from a remark by senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari last week — that 70-plus age is an “age of going to ashram”, seen as an oblique reference to Nitish. Tiwari, however, said: “It may be a slip of tongue (but) we take it as a blessing of Nitish Kumar for nephew Tejashwi Yadav, who is surely a future leader of Bihar.” Dismissing talks around the incident, a JD(U) leader said: “Nothing should be read into a moment of slip of tongue. Even Atal Behari Vajpayee, as then PM, had addressed Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as the Prime Minister during a speech. Let BJP envy our bond with RJD.”
This “bond” is something many in political circles are pointing toward in Grand Alliance’s second innings. Soon after forming the government in August, Nitish had reportedly asked senior bureaucrats to give as much importance to the Deputy CM as they give the CM. The camaraderie between the “uncle and nephew” in Bihar politics has been more than evident this time, with Nitish accompanying Tejashwi to most major events.