Nitish has hurt Bihar sentiments: Lalu

Apparently referring to the chief minister`s emissary Devesh Chandra Thakur who conveyed to Thackeray that the programme was purely socio-cultural and politics was not on the agenda, Prasad accused Kumar of "hurting the prestige of Bihar".

"Nitish has hurt the prestige and sentiments of Bihar by kneeling down before Thackeray and his conditions on his visit to Mumbai," Prasad told reporters here.

"Nitish conceded all the conditions put by Raj Thackerary for attending the Bihar Divas programme in Mumbai yesterday," Prasad claimed.

Stating that Bihar is known for its glorious past, the former Bihar chief minister said, "We should not buckle under pressure and kneel before anyone`s diktat." He also criticised Devesh Chandra Thakur, a ruling JD(U) MLC, for allegedly `stage-managing` a truce between Kumar and Thackeray.

Prasad alleged that Kumar was celebrating Bihar Divas overlooking poverty and deterioration in law and order in the state.