Patna, July 22: Chief minister Nitish Kumar today sent his emissaries — state JD(U) chief Bashishtha Narayan Singh and the party’s Rajya Sabha MP RCP Singh — to the tragedy-struck Gandaman Primary School, six days after spurious midday meal was served to students in the institute.

Faced with criticism for not visiting the school, Nitish sent his representatives to the institute but refused to take the blame for the midday meal tragedy while interacting with the party cadres in a closed-door session. He also hinted at a conspiracy behind what he described as an “abominable” incident.

“The RJD and the BJP are hand in glove. Stay alert. Do not fall prey to the opponents’ conspiracy,” a source quoted Nitish telling the party workers.

The state JD(U) chief, Bashishtha, and RCP Singh were on their way to the Gandaman school till the time of filing this report.

The chief minister, for the first time, interacted with the JD(U) workers drawn from six northeastern Bihar districts — Madhubani, Supaul, Sitamarhi, East Champaran, West Champaran and Sheohar — at his weekly janata durbar today. Two Rajya Sabha MPs Shabir Ali and RCP Singh and three Lok Sabha MPs from the region — Arjun Rai, Vaidyanath Mahto and Vishwamohan Kumar — attended the meeting besides the ministers and the state party chief.

Deliberating on the death of 23 children for the first time with the party cadres and leaders, Nitish was quoted as saying: “Our opponents (read BJP and RJD) are trying to create an atmosphere of frenzy. The state has suffered the death of school students after the serial blasts at Bodhgaya. Be ready to face more such situations as the despoilers are at work.”

Reacting to Nitish’s innuendos, the RJD’s legislature party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui said: “He lived and prospered in the BJP’s company for 17 years. Now, he is linking the RJD with the BJP to cover up his sins and failure. He (Nitish) is resorting to all these tricks to get Muslim votes. But the Muslims are not fools to fall prey to his (Nitish’s) tricks. They know what the RJD and its leader Lalu Prasad stand for.”

Bari also attacked Nitish for not visiting the ill-fated school and meeting the bereaved families. “He (Nitish) has shown the insensitivity of first order by not visiting the tragedy-struck school. The people will not pardon him for his insensitivity,” he said.

The chief minister asserted that the investigation report on the death of the students in Saran district had come out. “We will drag out the culprits even if they are hiding in abyss. The culprits — whosoever they are — will be brought to justice.”

Nitish did not keep his deliberations confined only to the Gandaman school tragedy. That he was aware of the Lok Sabha elections drawing closer became evident when he issued specific directions to the cadres of what they were supposed to do.

“The district heads of the party have to camp in their districts till the Lok Sabha elections,” Nitish told the cadres, the source said.