Embarrassing the BJP, actor-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha on Tuesday described Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as "Prime Ministerial material" and asked his party to stop attacking the JD(U) leader.
"Nitish Kumar is PM material and well qualified for it.
You don't need to have a doctorate for it.
He is among the select few good and successful chief ministers in the country today.
He has successfully governed Bihar," Sinha, the BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Saheb, told reporters at the Jaiprakash Narayan Airport in Patna.
"Nitish Kumar is well qualified for the PM post," Mr Sinha said. "You don't need to have any doctorate for it. He has successfully governed Bihar."
Later, on being told that his party may taken action against him for praising Kumar, a defiant Sinha told a news channel, "if speaking the truth is taken as rebellion, then I am a rebel".
Sinha said Kumar was among many leaders qualified for the post. "At the end of the day one can become PM only after being chosen by the party and numbers in the elections," he said.
He also said that on the basis of his good personal rapport with Kumar, he would try to build bridges between the NDA and JD(U).
The chief minister called Sinha, 67, his elder brother.
BJP president Rajnath Singh declined to comment on being asked whether the party will take action against Sinha while party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar sought to downplay it, stating in Delhi that this could be dealt with by the BJP Bihar unit.
Sinha, who served as Union cabinet minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government, said he was not in favour of the BJP baying for Kumar's blood and calling the break up with JD(U) a betrayal.
"One should not burn all bridges as politics is art of possibility and flexibility," the BJP MP told PTI.
"If we are not together today it does not mean we cannot be together tomorrow also," he said.
He said he enjoyed a brotherly relationship with the state chief minister who also regarded him with great respect.
Sinha, who has been sulking after being denied a place in new election team of Narendra Modi, also praised Kumar for his development work in the state.
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