Mahagathbandhan prefers 'corrupt' leader as CM face: Rajnath Singh

Patna, Nov 9 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday criticised the Mahagathbandhan for making a "corrupt" leader their CM face, claiming that only the NDA can give a clean administration to maintain Bihar on the path of development.

Addressing an election rally in Bihar, he said, "Those who have already spent time in jail on charges of corruption and still facing charges of corruption are contesting elections against us by stitching an alliance. Was there no other leader in their ranks who could lead their alliance?"

On the last day of the campaign for the second and final phase of the Bihar Assembly election on November 11, Rajnath Singh addressed several rallies, including those in Mohania, Ramgarh and Goh.

Cautioning voters against the "communal agenda" of rivals, the Defence Minister said, "The RJD and the Congress want to achieve success in politics by tearing apart the brotherhood of society in the name of caste and religion."

In a veiled attack on Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, Rajnath Singh hit out at NDA's rivals for their alleged corruption and shamelessness in seeking votes despite their "tainted" track record.

The Defence Minister said that a leader should have the courage to say that he would quit politics the day a corruption charge is levelled against him.

"Corruption cannot be curbed merely by giving speeches on it. To put a check on corruption, changes will have to be made in the system, and everyone has seen the changes we have brought about. Now money is withdrawn from Delhi's bank and it reaches directly to your account," he said, highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative to introduce direct benefit transfer (DBT) for welfare schemes.

Countering the accusations of the grand old party, he said, "The Congress leaders' allegation of 'vote theft' is false. The votes of Bihar's people are safe; no theft has occurred. Rahul Gandhi is misleading the public by making baseless statements."

Highlighting the development carried out in Bihar under the NDA government, he said, "Today, the people of the state can proudly invite visitors to NDA's developed Bihar. But during the rule of RJD, the situation was such that it was said, 'Come to Bihar, we'll smash your forehead'."

"Today, change is clearly visible in Bihar, and major transformations are evident. We have to make Bihar developed, successful and prosperous. India will develop only after Bihar becomes Viksit," he said.

"Leaving behind RJD's 'jungle raj', Nitish Kumar ji is rapidly taking Bihar forward on the path of development," he said, adding that the NDA is not merely a group of parties but an alliance of good intentions.

"When the RJD government was in power and Lalu Ji used to be the Chief Minister, that was the era of the 'lantern' and 'jungle raj', and our NDA government has succeeded in taking Bihar out of that era," he said.

--IANS

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