Tit for tat?

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad claimed the Bihar government had sent over Rs 60 crore down the drain in organising an event

A power ministers’ conference scheduled to be held at Rajgir in Bihar over Friday and Saturday was cancelled at the last minute, ostensibly because of a Union Cabinet meeting called by the Prime Minister. As state government officials looked for ways to placate ministers and officials, who had arrived or were on their way from different states, and artistes, who had gathered to take part in cultural programmes for the guests, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad claimed the state government had sent over Rs 60 crore down the drain in organising the event. He alleged the cancellation of the event was the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) way of getting back at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had cancelled a dinner for BJP leaders in June 2010, incensed over a newspaper advertisement put out by that party showing Narendra Modi holding hands with him.