The Janata Dal United on Monday scurried to put up a united face following Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's suggestion that Nitish Kumar may have "political compulsions" that have prompted him to defend demonetisation.
Speaking at a news conference in Calcutta on Monday, Mamata also wondered whether Nitish had support within his own party on endorsing the move. "Let him (Nitish) support (demonetisation). He is free to do so. It is his prerogative. But do all in his party support it?" Mamata said in response to a question on the Bihar chief minister's support for the demonetisation drive.
"Is he aware of the conditions the common people in his state have been reduced to? The middle classes, the poor, those in the unorganised sectors. We have many, many Bihari brothers and sisters working here (Bengal). Most have gone back because there is no money, no change," she added.
Asked if she would prefer the likes of Nitish to join her movement against demonetisation, Mamata said: "I have (enough) people with me. He may have his political compulsions."
"I have been saying this throughout, that every like-minded party is welcome to join the movement, for the sake of the people," Mamata said. The Bengal chief minister said she would visit Patna next month and address a rally. Trinamul sources said Mamata would be in Patna on December 1 and 2.
Mamata, along with her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, is driving the Opposition campaign against the withdrawal of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. Mamata has gone to the extent of demanding a rollback of the currency withdrawal decision.
The JDU, which has joined other Opposition parties in attacking the government on the issue in Parliament, sought to dispel any suggestions of a rift in the party as suggested by Mamata.
Asked about her comments, JDU secretary-general and national spokesman K.C. Tyagi said: "There is no difference on the issue in the party. The JDU is united and one with the party president's (Nitish's) support for demonetisation. We do not favour a rollback of demonetisation." In the same breath, however, Tyagi added: "The Prime Minister should take notice of the troubles the common people and hinterland dwellers are suffering." Nitish has, so far, remained silent on the sufferings of the masses hit by demonetisation.
On November 9, the day after Prime Minister Modi's shock announcement, Nitish was one of the first leaders from the Opposition ranks to come out in support of demonetisation, asserting that it would "curb black money".
But the JDU appeared to be treading a different path in Parliament when the party's leader in the Rajya Sabha, Sharad Yadav, joined other Opposition groupings, including Mamata's Trinamul Congress, in moving a notice for the suspension of business on November 15. On the same day, secretary-general Tyagi had said: "Instead of focusing on black money, the PM has been indulging in emotional speeches and has not taken care of the misery that the common people, particularly agriculturists, small traders and hinterland dwellers, are suffering on account of demonetisation executed in an unplanned and hasty manner."
However, Nitish, addressing a rally in Darbhanga district the following day, reiterated his support to demonetisation and reasserted that it would curb black money. He appealed to the Prime Minister to go beyond demonetisation and investigate real estate assets in which black money had been invested and confiscate the illegally earned wealth.
