Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular leader Jitan Ram Manjhi today tried to create a rift between Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad, saying the chief minister's report card was a way to expose the latter's turbulent term.

Presenting his own nine-month report card - on the period from May 2014 to February this year when he was chief minister - hours after Nitish presented his, Manjhi said: "Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad are together now. Nitish presented his report card for the period from 2005 to 2015. Everyone knows that Bihar was in Lalu's hands before 2005. The report card is a way of taking all credit for the so-called development and signalling that Bihar was in a dark, unlawful state before him. It is a way of telling Lalu he damaged the state and it was he (Nitish) who transformed it."

Though the JDU and RJD are in alliance, ties between Nitish and Lalu recently took a beating after a controversial tweet on July 22 where Nitish compared himself to a sandalwood tree that does not turn poisonous even if snakes surround it. The following day, Nitish made a late-night visit to Lalu, apparently to explain his tweet to an upset Lalu. The leaders even shared an "uneasy" hug after the meeting.

Lalu had earlier accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to create a rift between him and Nitish after Modi blamed Lalu for delay in the Bihar Sharif-Daniawa rail track. The Prime Minister inaugurated the track during his visit on Saturday.

"Nitish talked about many things he did in the last 10 years. However, it is hypocritical of Nitish to take all credit. He didn't mention his party was in alliance with the BJP from 2005 to 2013. And his report card mentions work done when both parties were in alliance. Besides, I was chief minister from May 20, 2014, to February 20, 2015. I, too, initiated many development plans, but Nitish didn't mention it once. This is hypocrisy," Manjhi said.

Manjhi also said Nitish overturned many pro-people decisions he had taken when the latter took charge as chief minister again. "Nitish cancelled many decisions taken by me. Later, he made minor changes to some of those decisions and implemented them, taking credit for the same. I had announced 13 months' pay to policemen, reservation for underprivileged sections in government contracts worth up to Rs 50 lakh and a pension scheme for journalists. Nitish first overturned and later implemented these decisions, taking all credit for the same. There are many more examples like this," Manjhi said.

Manjhi also attacked Nitish's Har Ghar Dastak programme, saying he was foxing people. "He (Nitish) talks about a phenomenal increase in figures of students going to school after implementation of the bicycle plan and uniform plan. We sniff a scam and it should be probed. He and his men are doing 'Har Ghar Dastak' now. Why didn't he do the same during the Chhapra midday meal tragedy or the Khagaria rail accident or even during the Gandhi Maidan serial blasts? His government is into making and re-making bridges and roads so that his ministers keep on getting commissions." Without naming any minister, Manjhi said it was well known who looked after the road construction department.

Mountain Man

Manjhi also took a dig at Nitish on the issue of making Mountain Man - a movie based on the life of Gaya's Dashrath Manjhi and releasing on August 21 - tax-free. "The film is releasing next month and I had announced that it should be made tax-free in Bihar. However, not a word has come from Nitish on this. Also, I had announced establishment of a Dashrath Manjhi training centre but nothing seems to have done on that front," Manjhi said.