Meeting with Modi was Only Between a PM and a CM: Nitish Kumar

Kumar said he discussed issues related to the state of the river Ganga in Bihar with PM Modi.

Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar. (Photo: Reuters)

A day after he skipped a luncheon meeting of Opposition parties, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid the buzz about growing bonhomie between the two.

The JD(U) president was, however, dismissive of any such suggestion and told reporters after the meeting that "too much was being read into" the meeting which, he insisted, was a usual interaction between the prime minister and a chief minister.

"I did not meet him in the capacity of the JD(U) chief but as the state chief minister. It was not a political meeting. Why is the media reading too much into it?" he said.

He also did not take questions from journalists about allegations of corruption against his ally – RJD chief Lalu Prasad – and his family members.

Bihar has an emotional connect with Mauritius as half of the population there is of Bihari origin. PM had invited me for the luncheon as the state CM and I decided to accept it.

Nitish Kumar

The chief minister said he also impressed upon the prime minister the need for de-silting the Ganga in Bihar and requested him to send a team of experts to the state before 10 June. The rise in the level of riverbed causes floods in vast areas during monsoon, while large parts of it become dry during summer as it cannot hold much water.

Kumar also said that he had met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi last month and it was already decided that former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav will attend the lunch hosted by her.