Lalu slams Nitish's rant on special status

Patna, Sept 19: The RJD supremo

slammed Bihar Chief Minister

for saying that he will support any party to form government after next general elections if it gives special status to Bihar and said that the latter has been changing colour like a 'chameleon' on the issue.

"Kumar's statement is nothing more than a political stunt (rajnitik sagufa) to stay in limelight...If he has been so consistent on the special status issue, then why did he not pursue to a logical conclusion a similar demand made by the then RJD-led government," he told reporters.

"The Chief Minister has been changing colour like a chameleon on the special status issue," Prasad quipped. The RJD supremo recalled that Kumar, the then union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, had summarily rejected special status demand as the convenor of a committee set up the then NDA government to look into such a demand made by the RJD-led government following bifurcation of Bihar.

Kumar had then said that there was no need for special status to Bihar post-bifurcation and said that the special package was suffice but now he has changed stand and was himself pressing for similar demand, Prasad claimed.

The RJD leader said that he could detect political motive behind Kumar raising the pitch on special status issue to consolidate the electorate behind him ahead of the next general elections. Another RJD leader and MP Ramkripal Yadav also attacked Kumar on the special status issue and said that the latter was a confused person due to his inconsistent stand on the issue over the years.

PTI