Nitish angry over Modi ad, cancels BJP dinner

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is facing fire from all quarters over the publication of contentious advertisements in Bihar newspapers. The ads seek to project his 'pro-Muslim' and benevolent stance.

First, it was Iftekhar Ahmad, principal of Shibli National Degree College principal in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district, who criticised the Gujarat government for using a photograph of its girl students in advertisements published in Patna newspapers without permission. Ahmad said that the college is contemplating legal action against Gujarat officials and the advertising agency. "It's shocking... the advertisements that project Modi as the emancipator of Gujarat Muslims has a photograph of our college students."

Now, it's the turn of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who cancelled a dinner he was to host for BJP leaders because he is miffed over full page advertisements showing him with Modi, projecting them as close friends, and highlighting Gujarat's generous help after the 2008 Kosi floods in Bihar. "Enough is enough.

I will not tolerate such a blunder. I will take possible legal action against the advertising agency for using my photograph along with Narendra Modi without my permission and knowledge," Kumar thundered. "It is against our culture and age-old tradition that a helping hand extended to people in crisis or in pain is not reminded of and propagated. It is uncivilised," he said. On saturday, Kumar cancelled a dinner planned in honour of the top brass of the Bharatiya Janata Party on the sidelines of the ongoing National Executive meet.

BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain however, denied that the Gujarat government had issued the advertisement.