Nitish Kumar refuses to comment on PM's remark on Narendra Modi

PATNA: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today refused to comment on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's much publicised remarks that it will be disastrous for the country if BJP's prime ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi succeeds in his ambitions.

"I did not watch the live telecast of the Prime Minister's press conference three days ago, so I am not in a position to comment on his remarks (on Modi)," he told reporters replying to a volley of questions on the issue.

"I have nothing to say on what the Prime Minister said on the issue," Kumar said.

On his views on qualities for a person aspiring to be the Prime Minister of the country, Kumar maintained his past stand on the issue that a person occupying such constitutional post should be secular, liberal and one who can take all sections of the people along, but he/she should not have rough edges.

The "rough edges" remark was aimed at the Gujarat Chief Minister for his alleged role in the 2002 post-Godhra riots, which Kumar had said on numerous occasions earlier.

On the Prime Minister's press conference, Kumar repeated that it was a farewell affair by Singh, but refused to comment on the speculation doing rounds that the Congress may project its vice-president Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate.

"It's an internal matter of a political party," Kumar said.