BJP reacts sharply to PM's secular tag for Nitish Kumar

New Delhi, June 17: The BJP on Monday reacted sharply to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks that JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar is secular and said that for Congress a leader becomes secular or communal overnight.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called Nitish Kumar secular. I think Congress should open a centre for handing out certificates of secularism to leaders. Those who they say are secular will be called secular and those they call communal will be called so," BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said. He charged that within 24 hours a leader becomes secular or communal for Congress.

"Those who are with them become secular. We would like to know what course is done to get this certificate of secularism from Congress," Naqvi said. BJP also took potshots at the Prime Minister for describing Rahul Gandhi as a "natural leader of Congress". "If Rahul Gandhi's deputation is over, then he should be made the Prime Minister for the remaining few months before the polls as the people are not going to give him and the Congress another chance in the next Lok Sabha elections," Naqvi said.

The BJP was dismissive about today's cabinet reshuffle. "These are ceremonial ministries and this was a symbolic reshuffle," Naqvi said.

PTI