Why is Modi silent on Dadri, asks Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday sought to know why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was silent on the lynching of a man on the basis of rumours that he ate beef.

"Why has Modi been maintaining silence on several issues, including the Dadri lynching to reservation for Dalits and OBCs? Modi should explain to people his stand," Nitish Kumar told the media here.

Nitish Kumar said Modi was yet to say anything directly on the September 28 lynching at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh near the national capital.

"He has remained silent for a long time. It is a bad precedent."

The Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader said the people of the country, particularly the poor, Dalits, backwards and minorities, want to know the prime minister's stand on issues that affect them.

Nitish Kumar said cow slaughter was banned in Bihar since 1955.

"But look at the BJP, how its leaders are claiming during campaigning that cow slaughter will be banned if the BJP-led alliance comes to power" in the assembly elections starting on Monday, he said.

He said the Bharatiya Janata Party and Modi were trying to "import" the beef issue into Bihar to create trouble and communalise the polls.

Nitish Kumar also said beef exports from India rose by 15.4 percent during Modi's first year in office.

"Modi ji is indulging in doublespeak at his best... Beef exports went up by 15.4 percent in his first year as prime minister, yet he tries to make beef an issue in the Bihar election." - IANS