With folded hands and smiling face, Nitish refuses to comment

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday refused to comment on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act urging journalists not to ask him questions on the auspicious Makar Sankranti day on issues about which people may have different opinions that may lead to squabbles.

Kumar, who also heads the Janata Dal (United), made this comment with a broad smile playing on his lips and both his hands joined together in response to frantic queries from scribes at a feast organised to mark the Makar Sankranti festival.

"Do not rake up the issues on an auspicious day, about which people may have different opinions and expression which may lead to squabbles", the chief minister said while he was treating himself to curd, flattened rice, jaggery and 'tilkut' (a sweetmeat made of sesame).

Requesting the journalists to enjoy the feast and write about the state-wide human chain scheduled on January 19 instead, he said, "I urge you to take part in it as well".

The chief minister was flanked by top leaders of the NDA and seated next to him was his deputy and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.

They were at the residence of state JD(U) president and Rajya Sabha member Vashishtha Narayan Singh, whose annual 'dahi-chura' feast has become a much-anticipated event since it had provided clues in the past few years about dissidents from other political groups willing to join the ruling party.

All eyes were, therefore, on RJD MLA Faraz Fatami when he arrived at Singh's residence.

Fatami said, "I have come here upon invitation as a matter of courtesy and no political meaning should be attached to it."