Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday showered fulsome praise on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his policy of prohibition, weeks after he lauded the JD(U) chief for supporting demonetisation.

“I greet Nitish Kumar from the core of my heart for launching a campaign against liquor,” the PM said as Nitish Kumar shared the dais with him at an event to mark the 350th Prakash Parva of Guru Gobind Singh here.

“But, this work (prohibition) would not be a grand success only by efforts of Nitish Kumar or one party. All political parties, social organisations and citizens have to participate in it to make it a ‘jan-jan ka andolan’ (people’s movement),” Modi said, addressing the gathering.

Bihar will become an example for the entire country through successful implementation of prohibition, the PM said.

The PM’s mention of prohibition came in response to the Bihar Chief Minister’s request to him to spread prohibition across the country. Fulfilling its poll promise, Nitish Kumar government had imposed total prohibition in Bihar in 2016.

Kumar, in his address, mentioned that as Chief Minister of Gujarat, Modi had successfully implemented prohibition, which has been in force in the western State since its inception.

Bitter foes

Though Modi and Kumar have been bitter political opponents, the Prime Minister had praised the Bihar Chief Minister recently for supporting demonetisation after the Winter Session of Parliament was washed out due to protests by an Opposition united on the issue.

The JD(U) had walked out of the NDA over the naming of Modi as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate in 2014. The two leaders led a shrill campaign in the 2015 Assembly elections against each other with Kumar, in alliance with RJD, handing down a humiliating defeat to BJP.

However, breaking from opposition ranks, the JD(U) has supported demonetisation.

JD(U) ally and RJD President Lalu Prasad was present in the audience along with Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Prasad Yadav and senior BJP leader and Patna Saheb MP Shatrughan Sinha.

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