Modi row: No cause of tension, says Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday sought to downplay the rift with alliance partner BJP over the return of flood relief money to Gujarat, saying there was no cause of tension.

"Tension mat lijiye, relax kijiye," Kumar told reporters here before leaving for his Biswas Yatra in Nalanda district.

He was asked about suggestions by BJP leaders that he should reconsider his decision on returning Rs five crore for the Kosi flood relief to the Gujarat government or spell out his strategy on whether he wanted to continue the alliance with the saffron party.

Earlier, Kumar and his deputy and senior BJP leader, Sushil Kumar Modi were seen talking with each other at the swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court Rekha Manoharlal Doshit at the Raj Bhavan.

Modi had yesterday decided to stay away from the Biswas Yatra at Paliganj.

State minister and NDA Convenor Nand Kishore Yadav, who represents the Patna City constituency, had also pulled out from the Chief Minister's 'Biswas Yatra' yesterday.