Nitish attacks Modi, rules out tie-up with Congress

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Monday directly attacked BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi by saying that neither can the 2002 Gujarat riots be forgotten nor people behind it be forgiven. He also ruled out his JD-U's alliance with the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls.

"One thing is certain. Neither 2002 Gujarat riots can be forgotten nor people behind it be forgiven," Nitish Kumar told media persons after his weekly "janata darbar" here.

Without naming Modi or the Bharatiya Janata Party, he said some vested interests are trying to ensure that killing of innocent people in the Gujarat communal riots should be forgotten and those behind it forgiven.

But the country is not ready for this because people are sensitive and are concerned about one another.

Sunday, Nitish Kumar attacked Modi when he said that the country's leadership should be handed over to a man who has faith of all sections of people and vision for the entire country.

He also ruled out an alliance of his party, Janata Dal (United) (JD-U), with the Congress in Bihar for the Lok Sabha polls.

"There is no question of an alliance of JD-U with the Congress in Bihar for the Lok Sabha polls," Nitish Kumar told media persons here.

He said media speculations over possibility of the JD-U alliance with the Congress is baseless. "It is a non-existent thing," he said.

But, when asked about a tie-up with the Lok Janshakti Party of Ram Vilas Paswan, he said: "LJP will have to decide with whom it will go in the next general elections."