With Janta Parivar unity, JDU seeks to rally anti-BJP parties

In a bid to rally anti-BJP forces, JD(U), which is pushing for unity among splinter groups of Janata Parivar, said all parties with similar principles and ideology should come together to counter the saffron party's "divisive" ideology which was dangerous for the country.

"It (BJP) will have to be isolated, since its ideology is more dangerous to the country. We should unite and come together. The ideology of BJP is not mainstream ideology. The basic idea is dividing the society and there is a need for others to unite," former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar told reporters while replying to queries related to conversion and other controversies.

Kumar, who was here in connection with the merger of Socialist Janata (Democratic) led by MP Virendra Kumar with Janata Dal (United), said to resist the BJP's "communal policies, which divided the society, people of all common principles and ideology should come together. Hence the merger of all the socialist parties."

JD(U) President Sharad Yadav said the split in the socialist movement and the Janata Party has cost the country heavily, as it led to the growth of BJP.

"Now we are concentrating on larger merger of all the splinter groups.  After the merger we may seek all options favourable for the growth of the socialist movement and resisting the growth of BJP's ideology," Yadav said when asked if they will try to reach out to Congress to counter BJP.

On Left parties, Yadav said that the relation with them was good at national level and "they are natural allies".

The JD(U) chief felt there was a lapse on the part of the socialist leaders in not achieving the desired growth in the country, where a large section of population consisted of poor people and labourers, which was exploited by BJP.

"A large section of people joined the BJP, following the split," Yadav told PTI.
Now they have understood their mistake of joining with BJP and have started to come back with the socialists group, he said.

"The situation has changed in the country to the positive growth of socialist movement and hence the need of the merger of seven socialist splinter groups," Yadav said.

On the issue of conversion, Nitish Kumar targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he should have clarified the position of the government in Parliament.
"Modi was not willing to clarify on the issue," Nitish Kumar said.

He said the merger of Socialist Janata (Democratic) with his party will not effect the Congress-led UDF Government in Kerala.

Nitish said that the BJP was not respecting the real sentiments people which was evident after it appointed a non-tribal as chief minister in Jharkhand.

"The party has again gone back on its election promises," Nitish said.