Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday, 19 May, condemned the comments made by BJP Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur on Nathuram Godse, saying that such statements should not be "tolerated".
Kumar cast his vote in Patna on Sunday in the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections, where he told reporters, “It is condemnable. What action the party takes is their internal matter. We should not tolerate such a statement.”
Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday, 16 May, said that Nathuram Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi, "was, is and will always be a patriot".
'Not in Favour of Removing Article 370, 35A'
While Nitish Kumar assured that NDA will form the government at the Centre after the elections, he said that JD(U) has made its stand clear on Article 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir, as per ANI.
“My party is not in favour of removing Article 370 and 35A. Our stand has been clear since 1996.”Nitish Kumar
On Ayodhya issue, the Bihar chief minister said that it should be solved through the court.
'Summer Season Not Right for Holding Elections'
Questioning the long drawn polling in intense heat conditions, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Sunday suggested that Lok Sabha elections should be held in two or three phases.
“Such a long drawn election should not be held in such an intense heat conditions. This is not appropriate time (conducive atmosphere) for holding elections. It must be either held in February-March or October-November in two to three phases in our country.”Nitish Kumar
"There should be unanimity among people that there should be constitutional arrangement that whenever there is election, it should be held at aforementioned time (Feb-Mar or Oct-Nov) and should not be held in so many phases," the chief minister said, adding that there is no point having a big gap between two phases of polling.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)