Patna, Feb. 16: Three Dalit MLAs and Bihar State Scheduled Caste Commission chairman Vidyanand Vikal, owing allegiance to the Nitish Kumar camp, today accused chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of fooling Mahadalits by playing into the hands of BJP.

Three MLAs, including former minister Shyam Rajak, attacked Manjhi for ditching Nitish and exploiting Mahadalits. On the other hand, Arun Manjhi from the Masaurhi Assembly seat and Manish Kumar from the Dhoriya Assembly seat equally assailed Manjhi for betraying Nitish who trusted him a lot.

The attack has come at a time when both the Nitish and Manjhi camps are set to go for a floor test on February 20, soon after the completion of the governor's address to the joint session.

Rajak said: "Nitish ji, who comes from the backward classes, chose a Mahadalit for the post of chief minister. Manjhi has betrayed the same man. Nitish picked him with the thought of carrying forward the work of good governance but Manjhi started working on the BJP's instructions. However, Manjhi does not know that he is a goat being reared by the BJP to be slaughtered one day."

Ever since the political turmoil began in the state, leaders of both the camps have been hitting back at each other. Both camps are using their own tactics and giving clarifications over the peculiar situation in the state. For past three days, Nitish's camp had launched an attack on the governor, openly accusing him of being an agent of the BJP.

However, today, the Dal leaders chose not to mention his name during the half-hour media interaction held at the party office.

Rajak also accused Manjhi of helping those people who were always against the Dalits and the Mahadalits. He too raised his objection over naming Darbhanga Engineering College as Dr Jagannath Mishra Institute of Technology.

Arun Manjhi, once considered a close aide of Manjhi, too attacked him over his policy decision. He went on to say that Manjhi was a black spot on the name of Mahadalits and the society could never forgive him for his acts.

He too joined Rajak on the institute issue and said: "Manjhi has put back the development issue in darkness across the state and have done nothing for the society. He should have named the institute after Dashrath Manjhi or B.R. Ambedkar. People like Mahachandra Singh and Narendra Singh are with him and everyone knows how much they care about the Dalits."

Mahachandra and Narendra belong to the Manjhi camp and are considered the brain behind Manjhi rebelling against Nitish. It was Narendra who had proposed the dissolution of the Assembly in the cabinet meeting called at 1 Aney Marg on February 7.

Manish Kumar seemed harsher in his approach of attacking Manjhi. The MLA called him Bhasmasur whom Lord Shiva had bestowed with the power to reduce anyone whose head he touched with ash. However, Bhasmasur performed the first experiment of his power on Lord Shiva. Terming Manjhi a traitor, Manish said: "Even God would never forgive him."

On the other hand, Vikal suggested that Manjhi should apologise to Nitish and the state's people for his alleged heinous act.