Nitish questions Paswan`s new love for Narendra Modi

Patna: Attacking LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan for praising Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Tuesday asked if he was not the same leader who had introduced himself to then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf as one who left NDA over the 2002 Godhra riots.

"Paswan needs to tell people the truth about his quitting NDA government, whether it was on the question of change of his ministerial portfolio or the Gujarat riots?" Kumar told reporters here. "A person who missed no chance to criticise Narendra Modi after walking out of NDA is today lavishly praising him," he said. Paswan, who shared the dais with Narendra Modi at a rally at Muzaffarpur yesterday, had described him as `vikas purush` (development man) and `future Prime Minister of the country` and criticised Kumar. Referring to Lalu Prasad, Kumar said there was no caste massacre in the last eight years in Bihar and the crime rate had declined in comparison to earlier times.