Why Nitish Kumar wants Modi to eat his words

Sharing my Open Letter to @NarendraModi about his comment on my DNA http://t.co/x1qypoZEus pic.twitter.com/dFekhbpLjI

— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) August 5, 2015

Bihar chief minister and a former BJP ally for 17 years, Nitish Kumar, on Wednesday wrote a scathing letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to withdraw his controversial DNA remarks made at a rally in the poll-bound state last month, saying the statement has insulted not only him, but also the people of the state. He has asked the Prime Minister to take back the words.

"I am a son of Bihar. My DNA is the similar as that of the people of Bihar," the Janata Dal-United leader wrote to PM Modi. "Most of us feel that these statements, beyond questioning my own descent, have disrespected the lineage of our people and have denigrated the great legacy of the state. This also gives credence to the feeling that perhaps you and your party hold a prejudice against the people of Bihar," he adds, wondering how such remarks missed his "alert conscience".

Modi had, during his speech at the NDA's Parivartan Rally in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district on July 25, said that something was wrong in Nitish's DNA for the way he had cancelled the dinner for the visiting BJP delegates during the party's national executive in Patna in June 2010. "There seems to be some problem in his DNA because the DNA of democracy is not like that. In a democracy, you give respect even to your political rivals," Modi had said. He is expected to address another rally in Gaya this weekend. Read more here.