Normal of Advani to defend Modi,says Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said there was nothing unusual about BJP leader L K Advani defending partyman Narendra Modi on Gujarat riots,as is revealed in Kuldip Nayar’s book,Beyond the Lines.

Interacting with the media at his weekly Janta Darbar,Nitish said: “It is an internal matter of the BJP and we have nothing to say on it. It is normal for Advaniji to defend his party colleague.” He,however,did not name Gujarat CM,and added that he had not named any individual from the BJP while talking about a “secular prime ministerial candidate”.

Nitish also reacted to Time cover story on Manmohan Singh. “We have been saying that there have been no inclusive development during the UPA regime. The NDA has been critical of the UPA’s economic policies”. Responding to BJP state chief C P Thakur’s remarks that “several JD(U) leaders were willing to join the BJP”,he said: “Though I do not know what he had said,he is free to take away one from the JD(U).”