RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Thursday downplayed his alliance partner Nitish Kumar's not going for the anti-NDA parties' meeting called on Friday by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

Lalu said he would be representing the Grand Alliance and Nitish "as big brother" at the meeting in New Delhi.

"Nitish is chief minister and he has lots of work to do, he is a busy person. He is just concerned about the outcome not about going and coming. You are free to make up any stories," Lalu said when asked why the chief minister was not going to attend the meet.

"On behalf of Nitish ji, Sharad Yadav is attending that meet and Nitishji has already spoken to Sonia ji. He spoke to her yesterday as well. Nitishji has communicated to Sonia ji that Sharad Yadav would be attending the meeting. In fact, I am going on behalf of Nitish because I am big brother of the Grand Alliance," the RJD chief stressed outside his 10 Circular Road residence before leaving for New Delhi.

Nitish's denial to attend the meeting has come at a time when the Opposition is trying to cobble together a united front for the presidential election to wage an ideological war against the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"I am going to attend the meeting of opposition parties after a long time and let me say that the Grand Alliance will represented in the meeting in the strongest way," Lalu asserted, claiming he was not aware about the agenda of the meeting.

The JDU echoed Lalu.

"Nitishji is busy in some government programme and he has authorised Sharad Yadav ji to attend the meeting called by Soniaji," said JDU spokesperson Neeraj Kumar. "There should not be any politics over the absence of our leader."

I-T notice fallout

The JDU on Thursday said the party had no stand on Wednesday's income-tax (I-T) notices to Lalu's eldest daughter Misa Bharti and her husband. "We have no interest in it nor have anything to do with it," JDU national general secretary Shyam Rajak said. "They (the RJD) have to reply to it as it is their matter. What can we say on this issue?"

Senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh cited an adage in reaction to the JDU's reaction.

"There is a saying in Hindi that patience, religion, friends and wife or beloved are tested during trouble," Raghuvansh said. "We will leave the issue to the wisdom of our partner in government. We are capable enough to tackle anybody who attacks us."

The other Grand Alliance constituent, the Congress, came out in support of Lalu.

"Thousands of I-T notices are sent daily to businessmen all over the country but nobody is bothered about them," said Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Harkhu Jha.

"Since this is a matter involving Misa and her father Lalu, the BJP is politicising and highlighting the issue."