Tuesday, July 19 2005 20:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Defending a beleaguered L K Advani for his controversial remarks on Mohammed Ali Jinnah, senior JDU (Janata Dal United) leader Nitish Kumar today (July 19, 2005) said the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) president committed no crime by eulogising the Pakistan founder during his recent visit to that country.

"In my opinion, Advani has committed no crime by terming him a secular leader as the whole world knows that Jinnah, like Nehru, always stood for secular values and several historians also feel so," he said addressing a seminar on 'bharat-pak vibhajan--dos hi kaun' organised by the students wing of his party.

Kumar said Advani only stated the truth about Jinnah and hence the hue and cry over the issue was unjustified.

"Jinnah alone cannot be blamed for partition as several Congress leaders too were responsible for it," he said, adding that had the Congress and the Muslim League not clashed over seat sharing in the 1937 elections the partition could have been avoided.

"If both the parties had fought the elections together or had the Congress later accommodated two Muslim league leaders as ministers, the country would have been spared the trauma of partition," he said adding that the Congress instead of making compromise preferred to divide the country.

Jinnah should not be projected as a 'villain' as his contribution to the freedom struggle cannot be forgotten or ignored.

Kumar advocated friendly ties between India and Pakistan to speed up the process of mutual development.