PM silences ‘Modi, Modi’ chants during Nitish’s speech at Bihar event

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped in to silence his supporters at an event in Hajipur on Saturday after they chanted ‘Modi, Modi’ while Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar was speaking.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped in to silence his supporters at an event in Hajipur on Saturday after they chanted ‘Modi, Modi’ while Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar was speaking.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the stage with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for the first time on Saturday after the two traded barbs during the Bihar assembly election campaign last year.(ANI Photo)

Modi was sharing the stage with Kumar for the first time after the two traded barbs during the Bihar assembly election campaign last year.

The BJP faced defeat in the state elections in November last year. The so-called grand alliance of the JDU, RJD and Congress was just one short of a two-third majority to give Kumar his third straight victory in Bihar.

The PM was in Bihar on Saturday to inaugurate a new rail bridge in Munger. He was also scheduled to kick-start the operation of goods trains on the newly constructed rail portion of Munger rail-cum road bridge in Begusarai district.

He was seen gesturing at his supporters at the event in Hajipur to sit down as Kumar greeted him in his speech.

The Bihar CM was speaking after Modi addressed the gathering about the railway project.

“I can guess the importance of this bridge looking at the excitement of the people here,” he said. “This project was initiated when Nitish ji was rail minister and Atal ji was PM; and now it is being completed,” he added.

“I am hopeful that the Centre and state government will work together, shoulder to shoulder, to bring in development in Bihar,” the PM said.