In a rare display of bonhomie, arch-rivals Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar showered encomiums on each other here on Thursday.
The occasion was a mega Sikh festival, ‘Prakash Parv’, commemorating 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh’s 350th birth anniversary, where the two leaders shared dais along with Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal.
Flanked by his Cabinet colleagues Ravi Shankar Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan (wife Reena is a Sikh), Modi heaped praise on Nitish for the grand arrangement.
“I thank Nitish and his administration from the bottom of my heart for such a marvellous arrangement of Prakash Utsav (festival). I have been told that Nitish visited this site at Gandhi Maidan (where a replica of Takht Harmandir ji shrine has been erected) several times and personally monitored all the arrangements, including even minute ones,” Modi said, expressing his gratitude towards the Janata Dal (United) strongman.
Modi did not stop there. “Nitish, the way you have transformed Bihar after imposing prohibition here should serve as a source of inspiration for others. To bring such a cataclysmic change in the society is not an easy job. Many leaders can’t even think of doing so,” Modi continued praising Nitish, as political pundits rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
Earlier in the day, it was Nitish who profusely praised Modi, with whom he had a running feud since May 2010 when he cancelled a dinner party for BJP leaders.
“Prior to becoming PM, Modi was Gujarat CM for 12 years. He too had successfully implemented prohibition in his state. I would demand prohibition throughout the country,” said Nitish, who was arguably the first chief minister who stood by Modi on the issue of demonetisation.
Though the other partners in the Grand Alliance have been quite vocal in opposing note ban, Nitish has refrained from slamming Modi.
