The BJP on Thursday called Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal the "Natwarlal of Indian politics" and took a jibe at his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar over his efforts to forge opposition unity, saying everyone wants to be a prime minister but the post is reserved for Narendra Modi in 2024.
Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala slammed Kejriwal for extending his "complete" support to Kumar's effort, saying the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor has given the biggest example of "political conversion" by deciding to ally with the coalition of corrupts.
Poonawala said he can understand the "political helplessness" of Kumar to form an alliance with the Congress and the RJD, but he fails to see why Kejriwal, a "political pinocchio", decided to make a U-turn on corruption.
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Union minister Giriraj Singh, meanwhile, took a potshot at Kumar, saying everyone has the prime minister's post "in heart" but people of the country have kept it reserved for Narendra Modi in 2024 as well.
"There is no vacancy," Singh added.
On Wednesday, Kejriwal met Kumar and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav at his residence in New Delhi.
The meeting came hours after the Bihar leaders met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi as part of Kumar's initiative to forge an alliance of opposition parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Poonawala said it was “strange” to hear Kumar and Gandhi talk about unity when one of them has slid to the third position (in Bihar) due to declining “political relevance” and the other's party is breaking into pieces.
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"We understand Nitish ji's political helplessness. But what is the political compulsion and helplessness of Arvind Kejriwal, who was born to fight against corruption, that he is hugging Lalu Prasad Yadav, his family, Rahul Gandhi, and forging an alliance with them?" Poonawala asked.
"Kejriwal, who once called Lalu Yadav an 'icon of corruption', is hugging him and his son Tejashwi Yadav, and joining the 'BBC' or 'bhrastachar bachao coalition' (save corruption coalition)," he charged.
Kejriwal has lauded Kumar for his initiative and assured AAP's “complete support” to him.
“Natwarlal of Indian politics is standing with those whom he used to call corrupt. Such an example of political conversion has never been seen so far,” the BJP spokesperson claimed, adding, “Arvind Kejriwal is...a political pinocchio.”
“Have you given the same kattar imaandaar (dead honest) degree to Lalu Prasad, Tejashwi Yadav that you have given to Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia,” Poonawala asked Kejriwal.
The BJP spokesperson alleged that Kejriwal was taking a U-turn on his views on Lalu Prasad and his family and embracing them because he himself has earned “big degrees in corruption”.
He said the opposition alliance, which is being formed, has neither “any mission in common nor any vision on any issue.”
“This is a unity of corruption, politics of division, ambition for position,” he said, alleging, “All corrupts are coming together because of this”.
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-With PTI Input
