Ram Vilas Paswan speaks to reporters in Patna on Monday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, July 18: Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan today accused chief minister Nitish Kumar of doing a drama to secure a special category status for Bihar.

Paswan said this while releasing the booklet on the economic survey 2010-11 on Bihar at party office.

“I have failed to understand why Nitish Kumar is dramatising the whole issue of special category status for Bihar. After failing in his acts everywhere, he is now requesting the kawariyas to pray to Lord Shiva so that the men in Delhi have some wisdom. I would like to say instead of attacking Delhi, Shiva shall give some wisdom to Nitish so that he does do any more drama over the issue,” Paswan said, while releasing a booklet on the economic survey on Bihar, at the party office.

“He had the best opportunity to ask for a prayer when Jharkhand was being separated from Bihar in 2002 with NDA in power at the Centre. Had he opened his mouth at that time, the demands would have certainly been met,” he said.

“I want to ask Nitish Kumar to explain what stopped him from raising the issue when he was a minister during the NDA regime in 2002. He is so smart that he chose to sit idle because it would have given benefit to the RJD at that time,” Paswan said, adding that the commotion over the special category status is being created to hide the failure of the state government.

Paswan also charged Nitish for making “too much noise over the development in the state”.

“What kind of development he is talking about? If the growth rate of Bihar is the highest in the country after Gujarat, can he explain why the per capita income here is the lowest in the country?” he asked.

He said the number of cognisable offence in 2005 was at 1,40,781 and it has gone up to 1,37,572 in 2010.

“Agriculture and irrigation industries are receding. The state has a debt of Rs 57,664 crore and he has been visiting foreign countries to secure electricity but let me tell you, not a single mega watt power plant will be set in the next 10 years. he has made promises, but failed to deliver any,” Paswan added.