New Delhi: After Bihar Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar took umbrage at advertisements showing him with his
Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi, his party JD(U) on Sunday
downplayed the issue saying that the alliance and relationship
between it and the BJP is quite old.
"Our alliance and relationship is quite old...An
unpleasant incident took place yesterday. It has passed...,"
JD(U) President Sharad Yadav told a news agency.
He, however said that it was customary to take permission
from the head of the state -- whether it was the Prime
Minister or the Chief Minister -- before their name or
photograph appeared in advertisements.
"The way the posters came up was not proper as the party
(JD-U) was not consulted. The party had raised objections to
that," Yadav said, adding that an inquiry had been instituted
to clear the situation.
He said the party has no reason to disbelieve the version
of BJP which says the advertisement was given by an agency.
Yadav also tried to put to rest speculation about the
tie-up between BJP and JD(U), saying the "relations between
the two parties is quite old".
Snubbing the coalition partner, Kumar had yesterday
cancelled a dinner for the top brass of the BJP -- gathered in
Patna for the party`s National Executive -- in disapproval of
an advertisement featuring him and Modi and another on
Gujarat`s aid during Bihar floods two years ago.
The actions of Kumar have brought strains in the
JD(U)-BJP relationship and a section of the party feels that
it could even lead to parting of ways.
Kumar, who heads the JD(U)-BJP coalition government in
Bihar, has kept Modi at an arm`s length with the aim of wooing
Muslim votes in his state.
PTI
