July 23: JD(U) president Sharad Yadav today welcomed Nobel laureate Amartya Sen’s comment that he does not want Narendra Modi to be the country’s Prime Minister, saying he agreed with the economist’s views.

“I welcome his statement. If not for him (Modi), our alliance with the BJP would not have broken,” he said.

Sen had said yesterday that as an Indian citizen he did not want Modi as his Prime Minister. “He has not done enough to make minorities feel safe,” Sen had said, disapproving of Modi’s economic model as well. Yadav held the Gujarat chief minister responsible for diverting the public attention from burning issues of corruption, unemployment and farmers’ plight. He said both the big parties, the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP, were indulging in a slugfest over non-issues. “Since this man from Gujarat has arrived on the national scene, this drama has begun,” he said.

He also sought to differ with Nitish on some national issues as well. While the chief minister has already backed the food security scheme of the UPA government, Yadav said the party was yet to decide whether to support the ordinance in Parliament or not.

“It is under discussion. Other parties, including the Congress, have approached us. We will take a decision before the Parliament session,” he said on asked whether the JD(U) had decided to support the government's ordinance.