Rahul Gandhi better PM candidate than Narendra Modi: Lalu Prasad Yadav

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is a more capable prime ministerial candidate than the "communal" Narendra Modi, RJD leader Lalu Prasad said on Thursday.

"Rahul Gandhi has all the qualities to become the prime minister. He is real prime ministerial material," Lalu Prasad told the media here.

The former Bihar chief minister said Rahul Gandhi had a clean image and he had not instigated communal riots or "spread communal hatred against a particular community in the country".

"But Narendra Modi is not only controversial, he is accused of the 2002 riots in Gujarat ... and failed to protect the lives of minorities who are Gujaratis like others," Lalu Prasad said.

Lalu Prasad, who hopes to ally with the Congress in Bihar in the next Lok Sabha election, said he was backing Rahul Gandhi over Modi "for clean and people-friendly politics".