RJD chief Lalu Prasad Tuesday not only endorsed Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s call for all parties to unite for a “Sangh-mukt Bharat”, but went ahead and declared that he was ready to back Nitish as a PM candidate in the next Lok Sabha elections.

“Nitish sahi kah rahe hain. Agar sabhi ek nahi hue to RSS desh tod dega (Nitish is right. If all parties do not unite, then the RSS will break up the country,” said Lalu. When asked if he was ready to back Nitish as a PM nominee, Lalu added: “Isme koi do rai kya? Agar Bihar ka koi aadmi banega samarthan karenge, Nitish ka bhi karenge (Are there any two ways about it? If any person from Bihar is in the race to become PM, I will support him. If Nitish becomes a PM candidate, we will support him),” he said in response to a question.

The BJP hit back at Nitish’s call for an ‘RSS-free India’ by producing a picture of him attending an RSS function in 2006.

In May 2006, according to the BJP, Nitish attended the birth centenary function of Sangh ideologue M S Golwalkar in Patna and even praised Golwalkar as one of the leading thinkers at the programme. The party added that the Bihar CM had not only attended the RSS function, but also lit the ceremonial lamp before the portrait of Golwalkar, the second RSS chief.

“In line with centenary celebrations, a function was also organised at Patna on May 13, 2006. Nitish Kumar had stayed at the function for one-and-a-half hours. This is the same BJP and Sangh,” said senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, who had also attended the event.

He added that Nitish’s presence at an RSS function spoke a lot about “doublespeak of the person nursing national ambitions now…Nitish may well be vying with Lalu on who attacks Sangh the most now”.

“Nitish Kumar always believed in politics of political opportunism. Earlier, he needed BJP to become a Union minister and then Bihar CM, now he attacks the Sangh to pit all parties against the BJP to achieve his dream of becoming PM,” he said.

JD (U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar, however, said: “We were in the NDA then, CM Nitish Kumar attended Golwalkar function as a matter of courtesy…Bihar has given us an overwhelming mandate against the BJP and we want to replicate this model at a national level. Unlike before, the BJP now has become a fascist organisation. Sangh never had control over AB Vajpayee, but it has a big influence on the present government at the Centre.”