BJP: Narendra Modi is totally secular

India News: The BJP on Friday asserted that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was "totally secular" and stressed that the state has not witnessed any riot since 2002. The BJP's statement came on the eve of the JD(U)'s crucial two-day national meeting where the latter is likely to harden its stand on the issue of the NDA's prime ministerial candidate.

The JD(U) is in favour of a secular candidate for the next Lok Sabha polls, keeping its minority votes in mind, while the 2002 Gujarat riots project Modi's image as anti-minority.