Nitish Kumar can return to NDA any time, says Athawale; takes dig at opposition alliance
Mumbai, Jul 30: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who snapped ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last year, can return to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) any time.
Talking to PTI, Athawale said Nitish Kumar was part of the NDA earlier and despite the BJP getting more seats in the assembly elections in Bihar last time, he was made the chief minister.
The minister also took a dig at the opposition's INDIA alliance, alleging that its sole agenda was to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power.
Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) snapped ties with the saffron party and walked out of the NDA in August 2022. He later joined hands with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and formed a new government. He is one of the most significant faces of the opposition parties' alliance - INDIA.
"Nitish Kumar can come back to us anytime," the Union Minister of State for Social Justice, whose Republican Party of India (Athawale) is part of the ruling NDA, said.
Athawale said, Nitish Kumar had reservations about the name of the opposition's INDIA alliance, and also there are divisions within the grouping on who will be its convener and also the prime ministerial candidate.
"I was in Patna yesterday and I was asked about the reported displeasure of Nitish Kumar who had left the Bengaluru meet of the opposition alliance early," Athawale said.
"I said if he (Nitish Kumar) is not happy, he shouldn't go to Mumbai (for the next meeting of the INDIA alliance). He had been with the NDA earlier and can come back to us anytime," he added.
Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, known by its abbreviation 'INDIA', is an opposition front announced by the leaders of 26 parties to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Athawale, however, said that 'INDIA' stood for "Introduction Negative Date Idea Alliance".
"Its agenda is 'Modi hatao' (remove Modi), while our agenda is development of the country," he said.
The minister claimed that Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar are of no use to Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, while she is of no use to the opposition in Maharashtra.
"Similarly, Mamata Banerjee and Communists have been at loggerheads for long," he said.
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Ram Temple built due to commitment of those in power; India already a Hindu Rashtra: Bhagwat
Nagpur (PTI): The Ram Temple in Ayodhya was built due to the commitment of those in power and the support of everyone in the country, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said, emphasising that there is no need to declare India a Hindu Rashtra as it already is.
He was addressing a programme on Monday to felicitate individuals under whose leadership and guidance the Ram temple was constructed. The programme was organised by Dr Hedgewar Smarak Samiti in Reshimbagh here, according to a release issued by RSS.
Bhagwat said the temple was built by Lord Ram’s own will. Comparing it to the lifting of Govardhan (the mountain by Lord Krishna), he said such a feat does not happen unless everyone contributes.
"It rests on the Lord’s fingertip, but that fingertip does not move until people contribute their wood. The temple was built in the same way," he said.
Bhagwat further said that for the resurgence of Sanatan Dharma, the resurgence of Bharat is essential—an idea expressed 150 years ago by Yogi Aurobindo. As each contribution is made, he said, divine power continues to guide the fulfilment of this resolve.
The process of resurgence began in 1857, he pointed out.
Referring to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Bhagwat said that when the new government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi took oath, The Guardian in London published an article stating, "On this day, Indians have finally said goodbye to the British."
"Technically, we said goodbye on August 15, 1947, but we were not fully certain," he added.
Bhagwat questioned whether the Ram Temple would have been built without committed leadership.
If those in power were not committed, would the temple have been built? he asked.
"Bharat must rise. But what is Bharat? What kind of resurgence? What is Bharat-India? We were lost in this dilemma, and time was also lost.
"But our country chose a path. If there hadn't been such a massive movement (Ramjanmabhoomi Andolan), would the temple have been built? The movement happened on such a scale. But if those in power weren't committed to building the Ram temple, would it have been built?" he asked.
The RSS chief reiterated that the temple was built with the support of every individual in the country.
"The decision to build the temple was made, but without a strong foundation, how would it stand? Every person in Bharatvarsh contributed. Then Lord Ram’s fingertip performed its miracle, and this process will continue," he said.
Bhagwat also noted that the idea of Hindustan as a Hindu Rashtra was once mocked.
"Hindustan is a Hindu Rashtra. Until the Ram Temple was built, people laughed at this claim. Today, the same people say Hindustan is the land of Hindus," he said.
Many people ask the RSS to declare India a Hindu Rashtra, "but we say there is no need to declare what's already true, Bhagwat stressed.
"The Sun rises in the east—do we need to declare it? Similarly, Bharat is a Hindu Rashtra; it is already a reality, and everyone accepts it. But back then? Everyone mocked it. Those early inexperienced workers had faith in their hearts, belief in (RSS founder) Dr Hedgewar's words, so despite all this, they kept working," he said.
Bhagwat said the felicitation event was a way to express gratitude to all those who contributed to building the temple.
"They have done their work; now we must do ours. They were given the specific task of building the temple, and they excelled beyond expectations, making it more grand and beautiful than imagined, and it will be even more beautiful," he added.
Future plans are underway, Bhagwat said and called on people to contribute towards making the nation stronger and more prosperous.
"We must work to make it greater, more grand, and more beautiful than imagined, so that Dharma is established in the world,” he said.
He said the world's need can only be fulfilled by Bharat, and Bharat's resurgence will be done by Bharat's children, and that no other country will save Bharat.
"Bharat will rise great and save the whole world. This is written fate. If we contribute to fulfilling it, it will happen sooner, with minimal loss," he added.
