Nitish close to Modi, says Lalu

Patna, May 6 (IANS) A day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar warmly greeted his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi at a meeting in New Delhi, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Sunday attacked the former for "betraying his people".

"It is nothing but a political drama. Nitish Kumar is betraying people over his stand against Modi," Prasad told reporters here.

Nitish Kumar, a Janata Dal-United leader, had opposed Modi, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, when he wanted to come to Bihar to campaign for the 2009 Lok Sabha polls and the 2010 assembly polls.

He had even returned the flood relief fund Gujarat gave to Bihar in 2008.

Prasad said it was Nitish Kumar's strategy to keep distance from Modi to maintain a secular image.

"But the fact is that he and Modi enjoy a good relationship as was evident when a smiling Nitish Kumar met Modi and shook his hand like an old friend (at a meeting of chief ministers) in Delhi."