Will not side with divisive politics: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

Without naming its ally BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said he will not compromise with politics that divides society.

The JD-U President told the media that his party will not compromise with the people who are trying to divide the society.

"We will not side with divisive politics," he said.

"Our policy is very clear in this regard. We cannot support those trying to divide the society, nor will we compromise with corruption. We firmly believe in social harmony and taking everyone together. My government works for development with justice," Nitish said.

He also strongly pitched for special category status for Bihar. A similar demand for Andhra Pradesh saw TDP pull out of the BJP-led government at the Centre last week.

The trigger for Nitish's outburst, highly placed sources said, was the Darbhanga incident in which a septuagenarian was hacked to death.The man's family members and a section of BJP leaders - including state president Nityanand Rai and Union minister Giriraj Singh - have alleged the murder was sparked by the elderly man's putting up a board at a chowk naming it after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

However, police and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi say the murder was a fallout of an old dispute over land. "Nitish was upset after seeing footage showing Giriraj inciting a crowd to raise slogans against the Darbhanga DSP," a JDU leader said under cover of anonymity.