Cricketer, actor falsely accusing me, let them have their publicity, says Nitish Kumar

Chirag Paswan dabbled in the film industry, acting in one movie, whilst Tejashwi Yadav was on the Delhi Daredevils bench in 2008

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in an exclusive interview to CNN-News18, said that he did not care about young political leaders making controversial comments.

"How does it matter, one was from the field of Cricket, another from Cinema, let them have their publicity. They have been falsely accusing me for their own publicity. But for me, the whole of Bihar is my family and I am working for the development of the state," he said.

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Lalu Prasad Yadav's son, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, was hired by the then Delhi Daredevils team for the first edition of the Indian Premier League, however, he warmed the bench for the entire season. He also played state-level cricket. In 2013, he quit cricket as a career to pursue politics.

Chirag Paswan, son of late Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, too dabbled in the world of cinema. He acted in a 2011 Hindi movie, Miley Naa Miley Hum opposite Kangana Ranaut. Later on, Chirag Paswan dived into the political world contesting in the 2014 elections for the LJP from Jamui constituency.

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"What has happened to Nitish Kumar? Being such an experienced politician, how can he talk like that? Can we not come into politics from cricket and films? Does he mean that doctors, engineers can't come either?" Tejashwi Yadav was quoted saying by NDTV. "Sportsmanship, leadership qualities, team work, all of this I learnt from cricket. In fact, my biggest exposure was from cricket," he added.

LJP's Paswan threatened to jail Nitish Kumar, alleging corruption in the 7 Nischay scheme if LJP comes to power in the state. He also claimed that Nitish Kumar may leave the NDA after Assembly polls to challenge the alliance in 2024.

Also Read | Post-poll, Chirag Paswan will no more be part of the NDA, claims JD(U)

In counter, JD(U) working president Ashok Choudhary said, "By speaking against Nitish tirelessly and making baseless allegations against a Chief Minister who has an enviable track record, Chirag has sealed his fate. Once the Bihar polls are over, he will be ousted from the NDA even at the Centre."

The second phase of voting in the Bihar Assembly elections will take place on November 3. November 7 will see the third and final phase before counting of votes begins on November 10.