(Top) Narendra Modi and LK Advani

Patna, Sept. 29: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi will be missing from the banners and posters to be put up during L.K. Advani’s rath yatra against corruption, starting from Sitab Diara — the birth place of Jaiprakash Narayan in north Bihar’s Saran district — on October 11, amidst reports of a rift between the two top saffron leaders.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is scheduled to flag off Advani’s yatra, is believed to have silently but sternly suggested the state BJP leaders and ministers not to put up Modi’s posters or cut-outs in the programme that involves him (Nitish).

Nitish’s dislike for his Gujarat counterpart is widely known. The Bihar chief minister is believed to have agreed to flag off Advani’s rath yatra only after securing the “assurance” from the BJP — his ally in Bihar — to keep Modi out of the party’s programme in the state.

The reported rift between Modi and Advani is being interpreted in the ruling circles here as a manifestation of Nitish’s consistent snub to his Gujarat counterpart and Advani’s decision to get Nitish flag off his much-vaunted rath yatra.

The “hardliners” in the BJP, who harbour a soft corner for Modi, interpret getting Nitish to flag off Advani’s rath yatra as a “meek surrender” to the whims of the JD(U) leader. Furious over an advertisement showing him and Modi holding hands and Gujarat’s donation of Rs 5 crore to Bihar’s flood victims, Nitish had cancelled the dinner with the BJP executive members here ahead of the 2010 Assembly elections.

Nitish has also snubbed Modi by keeping him out of the election campaigns in the state. Now, the reports of Nitish asking the BJP leaders and ministers to keep Modi out of the yatra banners and posters, apparently, has caused heartburns among the “hardliners” though the party leaders denied that the Bihar chief minister has issued any such instruction.

State animal and fish resources minister Giriraj Singh, who has invariably spoken in favour of Modi against Nitish’s diatribes, said: “I have no idea if Nitishji has issued such an instruction. One cannot stop a party supporter from displaying the pictures of the leaders of their liking in a democratic set-up.”

BJP MLA Nitin Navin said: “There is no basis for conjecturing that Nitish has given the instruction to keep Narendra Modi out of the yatra banners and posters.”

Asked about the reported rift between Modi and Advani, Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said: “I have no idea about the issue.”

The RJD, however, described Nitish keeping distance from Modi as a drama. “If Nitish is really against communalism, he should have kept himself away from Advani too. If Narendra Modi is responsible for Gujarat riots, Advani is responsible for the demolition of the Babri mosque,” RJD general secretary Ramkripal Yadav said.

Ramkripal said Nitish has been maintaining an “artificial distance” from Modi just to “fool” the Muslims.

The RJD has decided to stage a march to Raj Bhavan on October 11 to protest against Advani’s rath yatra from Bihar.