Nitish parted ways with BJP due to PM ambitions: Modi

The war of words between Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar escalated today with the BJP leader saying the Bihar Chief Minister's "ambition" to become Prime Minister drove him to split from BJP and accused him of possessing Himalayan arrogance.
"Why was the BJP-JD(U) alliance broken? Some said it was his (Kumar) habit to stab in the back.... We came to know of it four days back. The dream to become PM was not letting him sleep. His arrogance is higher than Mt Everest. He says nobody is as good a PM candidate as him," Modi told an election rally, his third in Bihar and second in a week, at the Rangabhumi maidan here.

Modi was referring to comments from Kumar last week that he had more experience and was better qualified than those "roaming around" for the PM's post.
The BJP's PM candidate said if he wins election, his government would give special package for Bihar, sought by Nitish Kumar, and anything else for the welfare.
However, in a dig at Kumar who had returned a Rs 5-crore aid offered by Gujarat for flood relief in Bihar in 2010 after Modi advertised it in newspapers, Modi said Kumar should first announce that he will not refuse any package offered to Bihar by the Centre if BJP is voted to power.

"He had such arrogance that he virtually spat on the face of people of Gujarat by returning the money. Such leaders should announce that they would not kick back Centre's offer and deny people their right due to his conceit. They must apologise for what they have done," he said without naming the JD(U) leader.

Tearing into Kumar's claim of good law and order and development work, he said, "The state government has failed to check the spiralling crime graph, cases of terrorism and naxal violence due to vote bank politics."
Modi, who devoted a major part of his hour long speech lashing out at Bihar Chief Minister on his home turf, quoted from Sachar Committee's report to highlight the better socio- economic conditions of Muslims in Gujarat than Bihar and claimed that he practiced "true" secularism in his state.

Modi also lampooned the Third Front, of which Kumar is one of the prime movers, calling it "a toli (group) of ex-Prime Ministers and more than a dozen PM hopefuls who wake up at the sound of elections and go to sleep for the remaining period".
"They have got their clothes stitched in the hope of wearing it when they are elected PM."
Attacking Rahul Gandhi, Modi said he is delivering lectures and accusing others as if he has "come from planet Mars".
He accused the Congress vice president of not answering any questions posed to him on corruption, unemployment, price rise and lack of development under his party's 10-year rule.

"The Prince makes allegations but is not ready to answer any question," Modi said. Referring to Rahul as 'Shehzaada' (prince) numerous times during his address, he said, "Has he come from mangal graha (Mars) that he does not know what is happening in his own party and its work for the country in the past 10 year?"
The Congress-RJD alliance was also targeted by the BJP prime ministerial candidate who called it a "bhrasht-bandhan" (corrupt alliance) and said even cows and buffaloes are afraid of it as it may deprive them of their food, a reference to Lalu Prasad's conviction in fodder scam.