By Shilpa Raina
Jaipur, Jan 17 (IANS): BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi "will be a great danger to India" if he were to rule the country, celebrated author Ved Mehta said here Friday.

"He (Modi) will be a great danger to India because of his thinking differentiating between Hindus and Muslims," said the 80-year-old who has written several books despite losing his sight at the age of four.

Mehta was speaking at the Jaipur Literature Festival which began Friday.

"I am born in a secular race and I will die in a secular race. India is a secular country and we need someone with greater tolerance to helm the country," said Mehta, who has lived in the US and Britain since 1949.

In unusually strong remarks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had Jan 3 said it "would be disastrous for the country to have Narendra Modi as the next prime minister".

Mehta was speaking at a session "Face to Face", which is also the title of his autobiography.

He has written books like "Daddyji", "Mahatma Gandhi and His Apostles" and "A Family Affair: India Under Three Prime Ministers".