Ratty scene in Bihar Vidhan Parishad as RJD takes on Nitish

The Bihar legislative council on Friday had the unlikeliest of visitors to witness its proceedings a caged rodent.

Members of the bicameral legislature, officials and media persons looked on with bemusement as RJD MLC Subodh Rai alighted from his vehicle carrying a "choohadani" with a fidgety rat trapped inside.

It, however, soon became clear that the move was a premeditated one, aimed at making a point as Rai stood with other legislators of the party including former Chief Minister Rabri Devi carrying placards announcing that "the guilty rat" has been caught.

Among the many wrongdoings that the poor creature was accused of, was the disappearance of gallons of liquor seized in the dry state, an obvious dig at the incidents that happened a few years ago when the police in many districts came up with the claim that the confiscated alcohol was lost to tipsy rats.

The claim had been a cause of much embarrassment to the Nitish Kumar government in the state as the opposition alleged that it was a ploy by the police personnel to hide their own complicity in bootlegging.

At the legislative council, Rabri Devi declared with a broad grin "here is the rat which the government suspects of downing gallons of liquor and which it may blame for vanishing of files that may expose irregularities like dams existing only on paper".

Rai chose to be more blunt and said "in the last 15 years, the state has witnessed 55 scams. By catching this rat we want to tell this government, the RJD is determined to take this regime to task for its corruption".

Rabri Devi, who seemed to be enjoying the mirth, clad in a salwar kameez and donning sunglasses, told reporters "yes, of course, we are going to take the rat inside the House. We would present it to the government and ask it to put it on trial".

It was not known whether the tiny creature showed interest in bearing witness to the tedious goings-on of the Upper House or chose to be set free, but the humor is most likely to have left visitors to the sprawling Vidhan Sabha premises less ratty than usual, setting the tone for the Holi festivities known for an all pervasive mood of fun and frolic.