In a veiled attack on his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that anybody who had rejected India's guiding principle of unity in diversity would never be able to keep the country together.
"Unity in diversity is the foundation of our country. Whosoever tries to defy it will never be able to keep the country as one," Kumar said at a function on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti here. The Chief Minister, however, did not name Modi.
Kumar said that an attempt was being made nowadays to "create an environment of mistrust". Efforts are on to weaken the feeling of brotherhood in the society, he added.
"People are not willing to accept dissent and opposition (to their views)," he said and referred to alleged efforts by some to portray Nobel-prize winning economist Amartya Sen as a "villain" for having rejecting Gujarat model of development.
Bihar Information minister Brishen Patel said there was a need to keep the ideals of Mahatama Gandhi alive. Food Minister Shyam Rajak and Secretary of Gandhi Sangrahlaya, Razi Ahmad, also spoke on the occasion.
