PATNA: Hours after the BJP took to the streets in Patna to protest the alleged "Bihar DNA" remark made by newly appointed Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) headed by Lalu Prasad on Friday hit back at the former, charging it with starting the "DNA debate" in politics.
Reddy who took oath as the CM had kicked up storms by questioning the "Bihar DNA" while interacting with the media a couple of days back.
"My DNA is Telangana. KCR's DNA is Bihar. He belongs to Bihar. KCR's caste is Kurmi. They migrated from Bihar to Vijayanagaram and from there to Telangana. Telangana DNA is better than Bihar DNA," Reddy had allegedly said, triggering wide protests from the BJP.
However, the RJD took potshots at the BJP for raising the issue and taking to streets to register their protests. "We too condemn such remarks by the Telangana CM but the practice of questioning leaders’ DNA in politics has been started by none other than PM Narendra Modi himself," RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwari said on Friday.
Tiwari said the PM had questioned the “political DNA” of Nitish during 2015 assembly elections in Bihar. “Was it not an insult to Bihar? But those making noises today found it welcome for Modi ji to raise questions on Nitish Kumar's DNA at that time,” he alleged.
The JD(U) had picked up the issue and launched intensive campaigns against the BJP during 2015 assembly polls. The party leaders later launched drives to collect DNA samples to send them to PM Modi. As part of the campaign, the JD(U) leaders and workers queued up to donate samples of their nails or hair, which were then sealed in plastic and sent to the PM office. The NDA ultimately lost the elections although various factors were cited for its defeat.
