Modi hits out at Nitish for BJP-JD(U) rupture

Narendra Modi today tore into Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on his home turf for snapping ties with BJP, saying he was an opportunist who had also left Jayprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia.

"People ask me why my friend left BJP. I tell them those who can stab guru Jayprakash Narayan and socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia in the back can easily leave long-time friend BJP," Modi told a rally in Patna, vowing to oust JD(U) which had quit NDA opposing his elevation as the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate.

Addressing the mega 'Hunkar' rally at Gandhi Maidan here, Modi dubbed Kumar an opportunist who had betrayed the people of the Bihar.

His Bihar counterpart was playing 'aankh michauli' (hide and seek) with Congress, Modi said.

The Gujarat Chief Minister pointed out that his party sacrificed the chief minister's post despite having double the number of MLAs over Kumar's former Samata Party in 1999 and accepted his leadership.

"BJP sacrificed the chance of Sushil Kumar Modi becoming the CM in favour of my friend (Kumar) for the sake of clearing the jungle raj in Bihar," Modi said.

Modi said despite numerous requests from party leaders from Bihar he had kept away from the state for the sake of unity in NDA and the good of the state, which the JD(U) and BJP were trying to achieve together.