(Top) Chief minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on Saturday; Lalu. (PTI)

Patna, Sept. 14: Arch-rivals Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad today spoke in the same language to belittle the anointment of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Both chief minister Nitish, and his bête noire Lalu used Sanskrit phrases while commenting on Modi’s elevation in the BJP.

Reacting to the Gujarat chief minister’s anointment, Nitish said: “Vinash kaale vipreet buddhi.”

Explaining the phrase, Sanskrit scholar Kishore Kunal, also the chairman of the Bihar State Religious Trust Board, said: “Vinash kaale vipreet buddhi means when the downfall nears, one loses wisdom.”

Lalu, the RJD chief, predicted Modi’s doom chanting “Namo, Namo swaha”.

Narendra Modi is often referred to as NaMo in political circles.

Kunal said sadhus (seer) chant swaha while consigning ghee and grains to flames during a yagna. The ghee and grains burn beyond recognition in the yagna fire.

Political observers said Nitish and Lalu spoke in the same language on Modi eyeing the votes of the minorities and backward classes.

“They (Nitish and Lalu) are trying to score over each other in their diatribes against Narendra Modi,” said the BJP leader, Giriraj Singh.

“They are locked in the battle to maximise their gains in the anti-Hindutva votes. Only time will tell whose wisdom has gone for a toss,” he said, referring to Nitish’s Sanskrit phrase and his claim that he had sensed well in advance what the BJP would to do on the prime ministerial issue.

Nitish said he snapped ties with the BJP three months ago sniffing Modi’s elevation in the party. “Time was ripe for the BJP to unite the opposition on the issue of price rise and corruption. But it diverted the main issue by going back on its divisive agenda,” he said.

The JD(U) severed ties with the BJP on June 16.

The chief minister’s arch-rival, Lalu, was as usual more direct in criticising the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. “Modi is synonymous with communalism. He strikes fear in the mind of the minority communities. He will become history after the 2014 elections because the country will reject him,” he said.