Patna, Feb 21 (IANS): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday slammed Upendra Kushwaha, who quit the JD-U and said that it is "good" that he went away from the party.

Interacting with media persons here, he said: "When he (Kushwaha) came (into JD-U) in 2021, he assured us that he will stay for his life. Many of the leaders of JD-U were not pleased with his inclusion in the party but I allowed him. Recently, he started behaving differently. I don't know what happened to him. He would better know.

"That man had come as per his own wish and going away is his own decision. His moves would not affect the JD-U."

Reacting to the Kushwaha's statement, earlier in the day, that removing Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the Centre would be extremely tough for opposition parties in 2024, Nitish Kumar said: "You know better why he is saying this. No one would say this. Why did he come to my party? What was the need of it? If he wants publicity then I am appealing to you (media) that it is not a matter of publicity."

Asked about BJP's Bihar's chief Sanjay Jaiswal meeting Kushwaha, Nitish Kumar said he did not know about it. As Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who was also present, repeated the question, then he replied: "I don't know about that meeting but you could understand it well."