Patna: A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described Nitish Kumar as secular, Bihar chief minister thanked him for the praise, saying the words give him comfort.

“He (Singh) has spoken the truth and one should always speak the truth, and coming from the Prime Minister of the country certainly gives me comfort and I offer my heartiest thanks to him for saying so," Kumar told reporters.

In signs that the Congress was warming up to Janata Dal (U), the prime minister had on Monday described the Bihar chief minister as secular and said there were no permanent enemies in politics.

“In politics, there are no permanent enemies or permanent friends. We will decide as the situation evolves," Singh had said to a question whether Congress looks at JD (U) as a future ally against the backdrop of the split in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and would reach out to it.

To a question on Nitish Kumar, he had said the JD (U) leader is secular. “I cannot speculate on that or what happens in the future. We need support of all right-minded parties. In parliament, we look for their support," Singh had said.

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