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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  BJP hits back at Nitish Kumar over Narendra Modi remark
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BJP hits back at Nitish Kumar over Narendra Modi remark

BJP says Narendra Modi does not require certificate on secularism from his Bihar counterpart

A file photo of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. Photo: Ramesh Pathania/Mint (Ramesh Pathania/Mint)Premium
A file photo of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. Photo: Ramesh Pathania/Mint
(Ramesh Pathania/Mint)

New Delhi: Adding fuel to the tension between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its key ally Janata Dal (United), a BJP spokesperson on Monday said Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi does not require a certificate on secularism from his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar.

Senior leaders of the BJP, the country’s main opposition party, however, said the party will look to negotiate with Kumar’s JD(U) rather than sever ties.

The long-standing relationship between the allies has soured in the past few days over the possibility of Modi being named as the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the next general election due in 2014.

Modi is accused by activists of not doing enough to prevent religious riots in the state in 2002 that killed 2,000 people. But the Gujarat chief minister is gaining support in the BJP after leading the party to a third successive electoral victory in Gujarat in December, mainly by promoting his development activities in the state.

Bihar chief minister Kumar on Sunday said only a “person with secular credentials beyond doubts" should lead the NDA in the Lok Sabha election. His JD(U) party has asked the BJP to name such a candidate by the end of the year.

“So far as any allegation, accusation against our CM is concerned, we completely abhor that and Kumar is nobody whose certificate is required so far as that particular aspect is concerned," said Meenakshi Lekhi, the BJP’s new spokesperson. “He (Kumar) is an old ally and we will take the next step after consulting others."

Kumar, who fears losing the votes of Muslims and people from other minority communities if Modi is declared the NDA’s prime ministerial candidate, has been a vocal critic of the Gujarat chief minister and his development model.

“Only one who can carry with him all the diverse sections of people can become the leader of the nation. This was Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s (former BJP prime minister) personality. Now, if there is an attempt to change the path, there is bound to be problems," Kumar said at the JD(U)’s national executive meeting in Delhi on Sunday.

Senior BJP leaders are hopeful this will not affect ties between the two parties.

“Even they (Nitish and JD-U) leaders know the ground reality. Most of their cadre and second rung in the leadership are not opposed to Modi. Nitish has taken an extreme line, may be under the influence of one section of JD(U), and now he is finding it difficult to come back," said a senior BJP leader, who refused to be named.

“We had issued a carefully worded statement on Sunday and will make it a strong ground to negotiate with JD(U). The BJP parliamentary board has not held a single meeting on its prime ministerial candidate. We will consult our allies before arriving at such decision," this person said.

The leader said Lekhi could have avoided remarks against Kumar as it may invite counter-reactions.

BJP president Rajnath Singh, in a programme on television channel NDTV, also said the issue with JD(U) can be resolved.

BJP member and analyst G.V.L. Narasimha Rao said Kumar is a pragmatic politician and will finally go by cold electoral arithmetic rather than let his personal prejudices determine his strategy.

“It is highly inappropriate for an NDA chief minister to be attacking the most popular leader of the BJP at a time the latter has become a rallying point for the country’s electorate, which is fed up with the UPA (the ruling United Progressive Alliance led by the Congress party) government," he said.

PTI contributed to this story.

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Published: 15 Apr 2013, 10:28 PM IST
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