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Nitish parted ways with BJP due to PM ambitions: Modi

Purnea: The war of words between Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar escalated today with the BJP leader saying the Bihar Chief Minister's “ambition” to become Prime Minister drove him to split from BJP and accused

Tearing into Kumar's claim of good law and order and development work, he said, “The state government has failed to check the spiralling crime graph, cases of terrorism and naxal violence due to vote bank politics.” Modi, who devoted a major part of his hour long speech lashing out at Bihar Chief Minister on his home turf, quoted from Sachar Committee's report to highlight the better socio-economic conditions of Muslims in Gujarat than Bihar and claimed that he practiced “true” secularism in his state.

Modi also lampooned the Third Front, of which Kumar is one of the prime movers, calling it “a toli (group) of ex-Prime Ministers and more than a dozen PM hopefuls who wake up at the sound of elections and go to sleep for the remaining period”.

“They have got their clothes stitched in the hope of wearing it when they are elected PM.” Attacking Rahul Gandhi, Modi said he is delivering lectures and accusing others as if he has “come from planet Mars”.

He accused the Congress vice president of not answering any questions posed to him on corruption, unemployment, price rise and lack of development under his party's 10-year rule.

“The Prince makes allegations but is not ready to answer any question,” Modi said. Referring to Rahul as ‘Shehzaada' (prince) numerous times during his address, he said, “Has he come from mangal graha (Mars) that he does not know what is happening in his own party and its work for the country in the past 10 year?”

The Congress-RJD alliance was also targeted by the BJP prime ministerial candidate who called it a “bhrasht-bandhan” (corrupt alliance) and said even cows and buffaloes are afraid of it as it may deprive them of their food, a reference to Lalu Prasad's conviction in fodder scam.