Nitish Kumar takes on Narendra Modi with reference to Hitler

Rajgir: Nitish Kumar's revenge was served cold.

Two days after political rival Narendra Modi called him an "opportunist" who has betrayed Bihar, Mr Kumar offered a glut of admonishments for his political rival. The Prime Minister addresses the nation from Red Fort on Independence Day. Mr Kumar said that "Your (Mr Modi's) Red Fort dream will remain a dream." (Read)

Mr Modi, who is the BJP's candidate for prime minister, held a rally in Patna on Sunday just after a string of explosions in which six people were killed and 83 injured. Mr Kumar today refusted the BJP's claims of "gross criminal negligence", alleging that his former ally sees "only the defects in me now."

He was just getting warmed up. He said that the BJP's repeated reference to "a Modi wave" that's sweeping India is based on what the Nazis practiced. "An associate of Hitler's said if you repeat a lie a 100 times, it is accepted as the truth. This is what they are doing," he said, addressing a strategy meeting of his party, the Janata Dal United. (Highlights of his speech) | (Watch) He also said, "When you believe in fascism, you follow Hitler's ideals."

An aspirant for Prime Minister must be patient, Mr Kumar said, adding, "I have heard that Gujaratis have a sweet tooth. Then why are his words so lacking in sweetness?"

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Mr Kumar pulled the trigger in June on his 17-year alliance with the BJP overs its decision to place Mr Modi in charge of its national campaign.

Mr Modi has worked hard to remind voters that he comes from a poor family and started his career selling tea at railway stations. "I too have dreams," Mr Kumar chided, "But not of being PM. I have not sold tea, but I too come from a modest background," he said.

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