Patna: Deputy CM and senior JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Choudhary said on Saturday that even though the BJP was leading the present NDA govt, it will not deviate from the path of governance set by former CM Nitish Kumar during his 20-year tenure, and there will be no compromise on communal harmony.“Even if the BJP is giving the leadership to the present NDA govt, the new govt will continue to maintain zero tolerance on the issue of communalism, as used to be the practice under the rule of former CM Nitish Kumar,” Choudhary told reporters at the state JD(U) headquarters.“The CM (Samrat Choudhary) has repeatedly said, both outside the state assembly and on its floor during the confidence vote, that the functioning of his govt, too, will be along the same path as used to be that of former CM Nitish Kumar, and there will be no compromise on the issue of communalism,” he also said, adding if the opposition tries to “cause confusion among the Muslim minority sections, and also provoke them in the name of a political party (read BJP), then it is unlikely to work in Bihar,” as the minority sections have realised “who are the real protectors of their interests.”
The deputy CM said that in the pre-1990 and during 1990-2005 periods, there was no instance of any state govt making efforts to improve the economic and social conditions of the Muslim minority sections or bringing them into the mainstream by increasing their purchasing power. “If at all, only the Nitish Kumar-led NDA govt took steps to mainstream them through policy measures,” he said, adding both society and individuals have prospered due to schemes such as Jeevika Didis, school uniforms for children, incentives for students, the CM Udyami Yojana and fencing of graveyards.Choudhary said opposition parties practised “emotional exploitation” in the name of security fears. “The main issue is not just foiling violence against them, but also taking steps to mainstream them economically and socially,” he said, adding opposition attempts over issues like Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Special Intensive Revision (SIR) failed to gain traction.
