New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has hit back at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh -- who questioned Nitish's secular credentials -- saying he didn't need a secular certificate from anyone.
"The Prime Minister should not act like the Vice Chancellor of some secular university. He is giving out certificates of secularism, which I do not need," said Nitish Kumar.
The NDA ally also said his views on the Gujarat riots were well known.
Earlier on Monday the Prime Minister said Bihar Chief Minister's appearance with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at a rally has cast a cloud over the Bihar Chief Minister's secular credentials.
Till recently Nitish Kumar was for the Congress, a secular and a possible ally. But by sharing the stage with Modi the Congress is now in damage control mode especially with the Bihar allies who are now targeting Rahul Gandhi for reaching out to their main rival.
"Look at Nitish Kumar, see what a lot of good work he's done," said Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary, Congress a week ago.
"After the elections in Bihar got over Nitish Kumar has gone back to where his loyalties lay, despite Rahul Gandhi praising him for his secular image," said Lalu Prasad Yadav, Leader, RJD.
"Nitish has now shed his mask. The wolf is no longer a lamb," said Ram Vilas Paswan, Chief, LJP.
So on Monday, the prime minister tried to pacify Lalu Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan over Rahul Gandhi's comments.
"Nitish Kumar professes to be a secular leader but yesterday when I saw him shaking hands with Narendra Modi I think a doubt did arise in my mind," said Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister.
But that that doesn't mean, the Congress won't woo Nitish after the results are out.