BJP diverting people's attention from real issues: Nitish

The BJP is diverting the country's attention from real issues like price rise and corruption, and is "pushing its own agenda by projecting a leader not acceptable to all", Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Monday.

"BJP has diverted the attention of the country from real issues like price rise and corruption by pushing its old agenda," Nitish Kumar told media persons here.

 He said it was the Bharatiya Janata Party that created hurdles for a united opposition against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) before the next general elections.

"Only BJP is responsible for it as it insisted on pushing its own agenda by projecting a leader not acceptable to all," he said, without naming Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who has been anointed the BJP's prime ministerial candidate. Nitish Kumar said the BJP will not benefit from it. Nitish Kumar snapped ties with the BJP in Bihar June 16 this year after Modi was made the BJP's campaign committee chief for the 2014 lok Sabha elections.

The Bihar chief minister targeted Modi, saying that he has already sidelined senior BJP leader l.K. Advani. Responding to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief lalu Prasad's allegation that Nitish Kumar is dividing secular vote to help the BJP in the general elections, Nitish Kumar said that lalu Prasad and the BJP have joined hands against Janata Dal-United government in Bihar. "There is an internal alliance between lalu and BJP to damage us," Nitish Kumar said.