Patna, Aug 13 (IANS) Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal legislator Nawal Kishore Yadav Tuesday praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and said he was better than Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the most popular leader in the country.

"Modi is better than Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the most popular leader. His style and body language have made him icons of millions of people, particularly the youth," Yadav told mediapersons here.

Yadav surprised RJD leaders here who are reluctant to comment on his praise for Modi, considered enemy number one of the RJD.

This was the first time that a leader in Bihar other than the BJP praised Modi. Lalu Yadav and his RJD have been critical of Modi since the 2002 Gujarat riots.