Nitish sits wearing wry smile as Modi chants 'Vande Mataram'

Silence speaks louder than words.

And that was evident at a recent rally of the prime minister when his Bihar ally Chief Minister Nitish Kumar remained seated while Narendra Modi led his supporters in fervently chanting 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram".

The video of the rally at Darbhanga that has gone viral shows Modi and others standing and repeatedly raising the BJP's battle cry "Vande Mataram..." while thrusting their clenched fists into the air. Those following the lead included LJP chief and union minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

Nitish Kumar, whose party JD(U) has made no bones about its differences with the BJP over contentious issues like Triple Talaq and abrogation of Article 370, stayed put in his seat with just a ghost of a smile crossing his face.

The footage aired by a few news channels left social media abuzz with speculations about the next move of the canny Bihar satrap who has made many a turnaround in the last about half decade.

A journalist tweeted ..