NI Bureau
New Delhi : During a 25-minute speech filled with errors, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was observed touching Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s feet at an event in Bihar’s Nawada today. The Prime Minister, seemingly waiting for Kumar to conclude, jokingly remarked, “You delivered such a fine speech that there’s nothing more for me to say,” according to a leader present who overheard the exchange. Smiling, the Chief Minister then bent down and touched Modi’s feet.
Nitish Kumar’s speech quickly gained traction on social media, particularly a moment where he mentioned that in the upcoming general elections, the people would cast all their votes for the Prime Minister, who would return with “four la — (corrects himself) 4000 MPs.”
The current strength of the Lok Sabha is 543 seats, and 400 is the target that PM Modi has set for the NDA.
There were other verbal slips during the speech, including what a BJP insider described as an “unnecessary mention” of his government’s efforts to fence graveyards.
At one point, Vijay Kumar Choudhary, a senior leader of Kumar’s Janata Dal United, seated in the front row, was seen fidgeting and checking his watch, signaling to the Chief Minister to conclude his speech. Several leaders even stood up in anticipation, looking impatiently towards the podium.
Despite the hints, Kumar continued for a few more minutes before wrapping up.
Sources within the BJP mentioned that now that seat-sharing discussions have concluded, Kumar need not attend further meetings.
Over the past couple of years, Kumar has often made headlines for his verbal blunders. His remarks linking female impregnation to education stirred controversy and drew apologies.
In September last year, during a public meeting, Kumar mistakenly instructed an official to contact the state’s home minister about an issue, forgetting he held that portfolio himself.
Reacting to the recent incident, Kumar’s former deputy, Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief Tejashwi Yadav, expressed disappointment, saying, “Today, I saw a picture of Nitish Kumar touching Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s feet. We felt very disheartened. What has happened? Nitish Kumar is our leader… There is no Chief Minister as seasoned as Nitish Kumar, and here he is bowing to Prime Minister Modi.”
