Nitish can't wash off sin with Rs 5 crore: Jaiswal

After running the JD(U)/BJP coalition government for four years, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar could not wash off the sins of joining "communal forces" by returning flood relief money to Gujarat, Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal today said.

After running the JD(U)/BJP coalition government for four years, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar could not wash off the sins of joining "communal forces" by returning flood relief money to Gujarat, Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal on Sunday said.

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"If he has realised the folly of joining hands with communal forces, he should have snapped ties mmediately.... But after heading the government for four years and then returning Rs five crore will not wash off the sin (of joining communal forces)," Jaiswal said at a press conference.

To a query whether Kumar's returning the money to the Narendra Modi government had hurt the federal system of the country, Jaiswal said the question did not arise at all.

"If any CM gets close to a party and then wants to distance himself on the ground of it being communal, this is not the way to keep a distance after four years of rule.

"If he (Kumar) realises that he should not have made the alliance, and if it was a mistake then he should have broken the alliance. But returning Rs 5 crore is not repentance," said the union minister.