Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said he supported Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan’s view that leaders of the National Democratic Alliance should desist from making “off-the-cuff” remarks. Such statements show the coalition is against certain sections of the society, Paswan had said.

Paswan, chief of the Lok Janshakti Party, made the remarks on Sunday in the wake of the BJP’s poor performance in the recent bye-elections held in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Both Kumar and Paswan’s parties are part of the National Democratic Alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

“Neither did I compromise with corruption, nor will I compromise with those trying to divide the society,” Kumar said without naming any BJP leader, according to NDTV. “I am for complete communal and social peace... I want to make it clear that this country will march ahead on the basis of love, compassion and communal harmony”.

He also said: “We are in a coalition, but are leading different parties. I am heading the [Bihar] government which is based on justice with equality.”

In 2017, Kumar’s party had quit an alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar, saying he could not work with corrupt partners.

He said he met Paswan on Saturday night and discussed several topics, The Times of India reported. “I support what he said,” Kumar told reporters. “I know Paswan very well and he will not speak on these matters without applying his mind. We should respect his views.”

Kumar also said on Monday he had not given up the demand for a special status for Bihar “for even one second” since raising the matter with the Prime Minister’s Office in 2005. He said that in 2006, his Janata Dal (United) had even got a resolution on the matter passed in the Assembly.