New Delhi:
He never misses a chance to rail at the BJP and Narendra Modi, but senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh made a rare exception, on an NDTV show, for a BJP leader known to be one of Mr Modi's strongest defenders.
"Yesterday in NDTV panel I was with Nirmala Sitaraman. Quite a gracious lady, and quite articulate but in the wrong party!" tweeted Mr Singh about the BJP spokesperson, who was his fellow panelist on 'The Buck Stops Here' on Monday night.
Mr Singh had made similar comments on the show. "I am quite used to being a punching bag (but) I don't mind a mild punch from Nirmalaji. I have got great regard for her - she's in the wrong party although her family has been in the Congress," he said.
Ms Sitharaman smiled at the back-handed compliment, but said nothing.
The two leaders had sparred heatedly while debating terror politics on a day the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar battled former ally BJP's allegations of failure to stop Sunday's multiple blasts in the Mahabodhi temple complex of Bodh Gaya.
The BJP took strong exception to Digvijaya Singh's remarks making a connection between the blasts and Narendra Modi's address to BJP workers just a day before, urging them to "teach Nitish Kumar a lesson".
Digvijaya Singh said he was "only raising questions".