Lalu downplays 'paristhitiyon ke neta' remark, slams media

In wake of the ongoing row over gangster-turned politician Mohammed Shahabuddin's critical remarks for the Bihar Chief Minister, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday held the media responsible for the controversy and asserted that Nitish Kumar is the leader of the grand alliance ruling the state.

Yadav said the whole episode has been created by the media, adding it was quite natural for him to call me his leader as he belongs to my party.

"He has not said anything derogatory against Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumar is the leader of the grand alliance. We are together," he added.

The Janata Dal (United) yesterday condemned Shahabuddin's jibe at the Bihar Chief Minister and appealed to the RJD boss to enforce the code of 'gathbandhan dharma' (coalition principles)' among his party men.

Shahabuddin, who was granted bail last week in the 2014 Rajiv Roshan murder case in which he is named as a conspirator, had said Nitish Kumar 'paristhitiyon ke neta hai' (a leader born out of circumstances)."

Nitish later hit back at the RJD strongman, saying the people of Bihar had given the mandate to him and asked the media "not to waste time by giving mileage to such people".