Aurangabad: Apparently stung by Lalu Prasad's charge that he scuttled the special status demand for the state by his predecessor Rabri Devi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today hit back saying that the RJD chief was being untruthful.

"It generally happens that people swear to speak only the truth ... however, he (Lalu) is an exception to the practice as he always swears to speak only lies," Kumar told a public meeting in Aurangabad during his 'Adhikar Yatra' to demand special status for Bihar.

Kumar alleged that the RJD supremo was repeating falsehoods and claimed that Rabri Devi's demand had fallen flat during NDA rule as she had presented the demand to the Centre without completing formalities at the state level.

He said if Prasad was serious about attaining special status for Bihar then he should have flexed his muscles in the UPA government as was the case with the dissolution of the state legislature in February 2005 for which Prasad allegedly compelled the UPA government to convene a cabinet meeting at midnight to take a decision.

Kumar claimed that the actual reason behind the RJD supremo's salvos was his unease with development in Bihar which had made him jittery about his political future.

He said that the people of Bihar would not have to go to other states in search of jobs with grant of special status which would boost industrialisation and open up employment opportunities.

(Agencies)

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