Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday accused the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre of creating “fear among minorities” in the country. Kumar said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance was also “deliberately weakening the federal powers of the states,” The Indian Express reported.

There can be no development in the country without harmony, Kumar said at a function organised by his Janata Dal (United)‘s Punjab unit in Mohali. “Some people talk about ghar wapsi and cow protection and are spreading hatred. But we are working to achieve our goals and will continue to do it in Bihar.”

However, Kumar did not make any new reference to the government’s November 8 decision demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. On Friday, the Bihar chief minister referred to the exercise against black money as a “courageous move”, even as he said that poor execution had inconvenienced the common man.

The JD(U) leader alluded to former Prime Minister Manmohan’s Singh’s speech in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, highlighting the impact of demonetisation, and said even Singh did not criticise the spirit of the campaign. However, his support comes in stark contrast to the criticism of the move put forward by the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, which are part of the coalition government in Bihar along with the JD(U).