'Kalam's book vindicates my stand on Prez rule in Bihar'

Citing former President A P J Kalam's latest book, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said his stand was vindicated that the Centre's decision to dissolve the Bihar assembly and impose President's rule in 2005 was unconstitutional.

"My stand has been vindicated by former President Kalam in his latest book in which he has made it clear," Nitish Kumar said.

"The man behind the move of the Centre should apologise," said Kumar, without naming Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad.

The Centre had imposed President's rule in Bihar in March 2005 and kept the state assembly in suspended animation for six months.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal-United challenged it in the Supreme Court, which quashed the government's decision.

Nitish Kumar refused to say anything on Kalam's revealation that then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not keen on his visit to Gujarat after the communal riots. "I have nothing to say, it is for the then President and PM to say something, not me," Kumar said.

He said that his party Janata Dal (United) was supporting UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee as an individual leader and a politician with experience, and not the United Progressive Alliance.

He said that he requested Pranab Mukherjee to visit Bihar first after being elected as the President of India.