Patna: RJD supremo Lalu Prasad on Tuesday described Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as "hypnotiser" saying he was trying to "cast a spell" on the people to support his special status demand.
"Nitish is a hypnotiser trying to cast a spell on the people to support his special status demand as if Bihar will start shining once it (the demand) is granted by the Centre," he told reporters.
Prasad said as far as he was concerned, the issue was no more than a propaganda by Kumar to woo the people with 2014 parliamentary polls in mind.
"Kumar wants to maximise electoral benefits by keeping alive the issue till the next general elections," he said, and questioned the Chief minister`s seriousness in view of his taking to the streets to mobilise public support.
"It is common knowledge that National Development Council (NDC) is the appropriate forum to raise the issue. The Bihar chief minister too is a member of NDC, so Kumar should have raised the issue there. He should have spoken to his counterparts in NDC and convinced them to grant the special status privilege to Bihar," Prasad said.
Referring to Kumar`s jibe that he should have used his influence in UPA to get the special status granted for Bihar, the RJD supremo alleged Kumar had got the then chief minister Rabri Devi`s proposal in this regard scuttled by the erstwhile NDA government.
This had reduced the importance of the demand and so he did not pursue the matter with the UPA government, Prasad added.
Prasad took a pot shot at Kumar for the public protests during his `Adhikar Yatra` and said those had taken place and protestors were injured despite elaborate security arrangements in Nawada district.
"Kumar should realise that the protests were the accumulated public anger against the NDA government and should take steps to address deficiencies of his government," he said.
Referring to increase in Kumar`s security during `Adhikar Yatra` and punitive actions being taken against the protesters during his tour, Prasad said his "time is up" and the countdown for the end of his days in power has begun.
PTI
