Patna University has sent out invitations to former students Lalu Prasad, Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha for its centenary year celebrations on Saturday.

Yashwant, former Union finance minister, has been invited over email while cards for the programme to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been sent to Lalu and Shatrughan's Patna residences.

The invites were sent out on Thursday. Patna University vice-chancellor Rash Bihari Prasad Singh said: "The invitation cards were dispatched to the residences of Lalu Prasad and Shatrughan Sinha after we received the them from the printing press on Thursday. An email has been sent to Yashwant Sinha."

Soon after getting the freshly minted cards, the university administration assigned the task of dispatching the invites among teachers, officials and even retired faculty. Sources said a senior official visited 10 Circular Road, Rabri Devi's official residence, on Thursday to leave invites separately for the former chief minister, her husband, and her two sons Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav.

The invite for Shatrughan, a former student of Patna Science College, was sent to his Nala Road residence while only a couple of days ago, he expressed dismay at not being invited to the centenary year celebrations of his university.

VC Singh said logistical problems in printing the cards led to the guests, especially the three leaders, getting last-minute invites.