Manmohan questions Nitish’s ‘secular credentials’

With Nitish Kumar rebuffing UPA attempts to woo him,Manmohan Singh attacked the Bihar Chief Minister saying his secular credentials were in 'doubt'.

With Nitish Kumar rebuffing UPA attempts to woo him,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday attacked the Bihar Chief Minister saying his secular credentials were in “doubt” after he shook hands with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

“There is no doubt that Nitish Kumar professes to be a secular leader. But yesterday after seeing him shake hands with Modi,a doubt did arise in my mind,” Singh said at a press conference,winding up his election campaign in the country.

He was replying to a question whether he considered Kumar to be communal or secular.

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Singh also slammed Kumar for claiming that the Centre had not given the money promised as compensation to victims for last year’s Kosi floods in Bihar.

“Whatever Nitish has said is absolutely false…The fault of not spending the money is with the state government and not with the Centre,” said the Prime Minister while underlining that he had himself visited the affected areas to oversee relief process.

Kumar had yesterday alleged that the Centre had promised Rs 1,100 crore for Kosi victims but did not give anything.

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