Mumbai: Seven years after rejecting Narendra Modi's offer, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday accepted Rs 5 crore aid from Vijay Rupani led Gujarat government for Bihar flood victims.
Gujarat Revenue Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama on behalf of the Gujarat government handed over the cheque to the Bihar CM in presence of state Deputy Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushil Kumar Modi.
Interestingly, in 2010, Kumar had returned Rs five crore aid given by then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for the Kosi flood victims.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav hit out at the Janata Dal (United) chief for accepting Rs 5 crore aid from the BJP-led Gujarat government.
Notably, back in 2010, Congress and RJD had criticised Kumar for returning the Rs five crore aid.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad had taken a dig at his arch rival saying Kumar's decision was "nothing but an absurdity."
Ahmed Patel, senior Congress leader and political advisor to Sonia Gandhi, had said, "He (Kumar) should have thought before returning the fund that this money does not belong to any leader. This is the money given by people of Gujarat to people of Bihar."
Kumar was angry after local papers had carried advertisements about the help given by the Gujarat government for the 2008 Kosi flood victims.
The Bihar chief minister had described the then Gujarat government's claim of liberal donation as "uncivilised".
JD (U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on July 26 snapped ties with RJD and the Congress. The three parties had formed the Mahagathbandhan in 2015 and swept to power in the Assembly elections held in October-November that year.
Kumar walked out of the Mahagathbandhan following allegations of corruption against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who was then the deputy chief minister of the state. The JD (U) joined hands with the BJP to retain power leaving the Congress, which is already a spent force in the state, staring at an uncertain future.
Relinquished a cheque of ₹5 Cr. to The CM Sh @NitishKumar ji & Dy CM Sh @SushilModi ji for the flood's relief fund rendered by Gujarat Govt. pic.twitter.com/tSnWyRZt3r
— भूपेंद्रसिंह चुडासमा (@BhupendraSinh1) September 7, 2017
आज जब नीतीश जी ने गुजरात सरकार का वही 5 करोड़ का चेक प्राप्त किया तो वह स्वयं को कितना लाचार, कमज़ोर और टूटा हुआ महसूस कर रहे होंगे? सोचिए.. https://t.co/HDFRadpjB3
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) September 7, 2017
