People chanting 'Arahar Modi' instead of 'Har Har Modi': Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the rising prices of pulses, saying people are raising slogans of 'arahar (a Dal variety) Modi' instead of 'Har Har Modi'.

"Chunaav main nara lagta tha 'Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi' ab aajkal nara lag raha hai "Ara Har Modi' (During elections people used to raise slogans of 'Har Har Modi', these days they are raising 'arahar Modi'," he said in his address here.

Nitish also said that increase is the price of pulses is less in Bihar as compared to the BJP-ruled states.

"Dal price has crossed over Rs. 200 per Kg. Two of their ministers said that Dal prices are increasing because of me. Am I a wholesale dealer of Dal? The prices of Dal have increased more in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh as compared to Bihar, so am responsible for even that," he said.

Nitish further criticised Prime Minister Modi for his frequent foreign trips, saying that the latter does not get time to do anything else because of it.

"After winning Lok Sabha elections, he does not have any time to do any work. He either goes abroad or for election campaigns," he said.

He also slammed the BJP over General VK Singh's 'dog remark' and said that such comments were 'highly insensitive'.

"What is the state of the party (BJP) whose Ministers have compared Dalits to dogs, highly insensitive," he said.

Rising price of pulses has become a major problem for the government with per kg price of tur dal touching almost Rs. 200 in the market.

The government has made an amendment under essential commodities act to enable states to impose stock limits on pulses sourced from imports, held by exporters, large food processing units as well as large departmental retailers.

The states were exhorted to carryout surprise inspections and raids to prevent hoarding of pulses.