Agriculture minister Narendra Singh and chief minister Nitish Kumar launch a drive to popularise the systematic root intensification system of cultivation at SK Memorial Hall in Patna on Wednesday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Patna, April 24: The infighting in the NDA came to the fore once again today with the BJP strongly protesting against the state agriculture department’s mega campaign to popularise shreevidhi, an innovating way to strengthen crops known in technical jargons as systematic root intensification.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar graced the occasion. He spoke at length on how his government formulated the five-year agriculture roadmap (2012-17) and promoted innovations in the agricultural arena, enabling Bihar to achieve record production of paddy and wheat. The agriculture minister, Narendra Singh, presided over the function.

The BJP, however, described the event as “inimical” to the coalition dharma. “Bihar has the NDA government with the JD(U) and the BJP as equal partners in its governance and development. The agriculture department did not invite the BJP ministers. It reflects its wilful neglect to the alliance partner,” an official communiqué issued by the BJP’s farmers’ cell stated.

The communiqué asked Nitish to intervene, preventing such aberrations and ensure the sanctity of the alliance. The communiqué was signed by the party’s farmers’ cell vice-president, Ranjit Kumar Singh.

The BJP clarified that it was a Nitish Kumar-Sushil Kumar Modi-led coalition government and it should ensure the equitable representation of the two partners at the government functions, particularly related to public interest.

Sources in the BJP revealed that the party leaders would no longer tolerate the attempt to “sideline” the BJP at the government’s functions. “As a party, the JD(U) is well within its rights to not to invite us at its functions. But Nitish should be mindful of the fact that the BJP is an equal partner to whatever good has happened to Bihar under the NDA rule and as such he should ensure equal credit to the BJP in whatever the government has achieved in the state.”