Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday showered praises on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for launching and implementing liquor ban and appealed to all to make prohibition a grand success.
Common Ground?
The praise comes weeks after the Prime Minister lauded the JD(U) chief for supporting demonetisation. He was addressing the public during the concluding function of 350th Prakash Parva of 10th Sikh Guru Govind Singh. Nitish and his ally RJD President Lalu Prasad shared the dais with him.
The PM's mention of prohibition came in response to the Bihar Chief Minister's request to him to spread prohibition across the country. Fulfilling its poll promise, Nitish Kumar government had imposed total prohibition in Bihar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief minister Nitish Kumar were at a public meeting to celebrate the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, revered by Sikhs, and born in Bihar.
Mutual Admiration Club?
Kumar in his address mentioned that Narendra Modi as Chief Minister of Gujarat had successfully carried prohibition which has been in force in the western state since its inception.
Though Modi and Kumar have been bitter political opponents, the Prime Minister had praised the Bihar Chief Minister recently for supporting demonetisation after the Winter session of Parliament was washed out due to protests by a united Opposition on note ban.
The Opposition had united against the move introduced in November 'to combat black money'. Nitish Kumar however, had stepped away and stood outside a united attack on the sudden note ban.
Change of Heart?
This is a notable change of stance from the times when the JD(U) had walked out of NDA over naming of Modi as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate in 2014.
The two leaders led a shrill campaign in the 2015 Assembly elections against each other with Kumar, in alliance with RJD, handing down a humiliating defeat to BJP.
However, breaking from Opposition ranks, the JD(U) has supported demonetisation.
Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam
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