Patna, Dec. 13: Chief minister Nitish Kumar today met Hardik Patel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bitter critic on his home turf Gujarat, and accepted the invitation to attend a farmers' conclave to be organised by the Patel quota agitation leader.

Sources at Nitish's official address 1 Aney Marg said the chief minister had a two-and-half-hour meeting with Hardik, who was accompanied by Maratha Kranti Morcha leader Sudhir Sawant and Rajasthan farmers' leader Himmat Singh, who are at the forefront of the job quota for upper castes movement in their states.

Quizzed on why the usually reticent Nitish gave Hardik and his group so much of his time, Janata Dal United secretary-general K.C. Tyagi told The Telegraph: "Media had created a misconception following Nitish's support to demonetisation. Now, Nitish ji has decided to spearhead the movement against the BJP in the lion's den (read Modi's bastion)."

Sources close to Nitish also said the chief minister today made a calculated effort to begin distancing himself from his support for demonetisation by questioning the Centre's preparedness for the move at his JDU meeting, and then signalling that he would join anti-BJP movements across the country.

Tyagi confirmed that Nitish had accepted Hardik's invitation to attend the farmers' rally on January 28 in Saurashtra, the hub of Hardik's Patel quota movement, and also Sawant and Singh's invitations to farmers' rallies in their states, dates for which have not been finalised.

Hardik described Nitish as "mahanayak" (super hero) and Modi as the "enemy of the farmers".

"I am indebted to him (Nitish) for supporting the farmers' and Patel movement for reservation in Gujarat," Hardik told reporters with Nitish by his side. "I am grateful to Nitish ji for standing with our cause when I was in jail in connection with our agitation."

Training his guns on the Prime Minister, Hardik said: "What Modi ji propagates is not the reality of Gujarat. The government machinery is snatching land from the farmers and giving it to corporate houses. Farmers are committing suicide in Gujarat. A large chunk of farmers is on the verge of starvation. The government forces have so far killed 14 people and have lodged cases against 14 others agitating against the government's anti-farmer policies."

He added: "Nothing can be more pernicious than framing me in a case of treason."

Replying to a query related to prohibition, Hardik said: "Prohibition has become a vehicle for social change in Bihar. At the same time, all of us know that the sale of liquor is highest in Gujarat, where Mahatma Gandhi had propagated total prohibition, and the BJP leaders are involved in the illegal liquor trade."

In keeping with Nitish's line on reservations, Hardik said: "Our agitation is very much the part of the Mandal movement that began in Bihar. What we are doing is fully under the purview of the Mandal Commission's recommendations."