Chief minister Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav at the JD(U) national executive meeting in New Delhi on Saturday. Yadav was elected the party president for a third time. Picture by Prem Singh

New Delhi, April 13: The Janata Dal (United) today sought to recall the Gujarat communal riots of 2002 and the Delhi Sikh riots of 1984 in the same breath, seeking to distance itself from the idea of a Narendra Modi-led BJP and also to quash suggestions of any proximity to the Congress.

“During the communal riots of 2002, Narendra Modi had badly failed to discharge his duty as the chief minister of the state in controlling the riots,” JD(U) general secretary K.C. Tyagi said on being asked about the secular credentials of the Gujarat chief minister, perceived to be the BJP’s prime ministerial face.

Tyagi was briefing the media on the first day of the JD(U)’s national council and executive body meetings here.

If he tried to assert the JD(U)’s consistent opposition to Modi, Tyagi was more than caustic in his remarks against the Congress, which he termed an “enemy party” and went on to recall the 1984 riots.

“We are opposed to the 2002 Gujarat communal riots. And we are also opposed to the Sikh riots of 1984,” Tyagi said.

“Congress se alliance dur dur tak nahi hoga. Congress se khuda bachaye (There is no possibility of an alliance with the Congress in the distant future too. God save us from the Congress),” Tyagi added.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had dropped hints of a warming up of relations between the JD(U) and Congress at his “Adhikar Rally” in Delhi last month. Nitish had praised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister P. Chidambaram and put his support on the table for whichever formation grants special status to Bihar.

However, sources in the JD(U) pointed out that Tyagi is a known loyalist of Sharad Yadav — appointed as party president for a third term today. Sharad is known for his strong anti-Congress views. The sources emphasised that at the end of the day, Nitish Kumar’s decision would ultimately prevail, since he was the overarching leader.

Leaders close to Nitish said he too believes the “Congress was a sinking ship” for now, given the strong anti-incumbency sentiments over corruption and price rise but he had not closed the option. He will take a call as the situation emerges, possibly post-elections, these leaders said.

A Nitish camp leader reasoned that an alliance with the Congress might be needed to ensure the complete support of the Muslims. If Nitish goes it alone and Lalu Prasad’s RJD has an alliance with the Congress, then the Muslim vote would split, he pointed out.

The JD(U) also tried not to raise the heat over the BJP just yet — in fact, to many Tyagi sounded conciliatory as he described the BJP as a “dost” (friend).

“BJP hamari dost party hai. Dost se na saudebaazi ki jaati hai na dabao dala jaata hai (The BJP is our friend. With a friend, you neither indulge in bargaining nor do you put pressure),” Tyagi said.

Party sources, however, rejected any dilution in its “no compromise” stand on Modi. “Our stand remains the same. There is no question of dilution,” said a leader close to Nitish, pointing out that it would be clearly spelt out in the political resolution to be adopted tomorrow.

At its meeting today, the JD(U) only sought to build its case against it’s alliance partner with the organisational report adopted today charging the BJP with not following “alliance dharma” outside Bihar.

“The BJP did not play the alliance dharma with the JD(U) in many states like Jharkhand, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra. They rejected our proposal for seat-sharing in these states,” Tyagi said.

Party insiders said the political resolution that will be adopted tomorrow would endorse the line Nitish had already taken — that the NDA should face the 2014 Lok Sabha polls with a prime ministerial face having “secular credentials”.

The only relief he could extend to the BJP would be not to fix any deadline for finalising the prime ministerial name.