Nitish Kumar behind RJD split, says JD(U) leader Shivanand Tiwari

Zee Media Bureau/Deepak Nagpal

Patna: Confirming the fears of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, JD(U) leader Shivanand Tiwari on Thursday confirmed that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was behind the split in the RJD. The development came in view of 13 RJD MLAs purportedly splitting from the party. Nine had later come back in the RJD fold, saying they had been tricked into the rebellion. Nitish had yesterday attacked Lalu Prasad for indulging in "rowdism", saying while the fire in his house was due to "short-circuit" he was instead blaming outsiders. "Fire in the house has been due to short-circuit but he is blaming outsiders for this and indulging in rowdism, pelting stones at house of Speaker," Kumar told reporters while reacting strongly on the incident of stone pelting at the house of Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary when Prasad led a procession of his party with nine rebel MLAs. Without naming his bete noire Kumar had said "he is forgetting that he is out on bail in a case and indulging in such rowdy act which may land him in further trouble." Lalu had also hit out at the Speaker for recognising the 13 rebel RJD MLAs as a separate group in the Assembly.