Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Saturday got the JDU's goat by raising questions on chief minister Nitish Kumar's health and demanded a health bulletin.

Nitish is reportedly not keeping well for the past few days, ever since he returned from Chennai after attending a memorial for former DMK chief M Karunanidhi. For the ninth day, he has cancelled all meetings, including a cabinet meeting and a recent meeting on law and order. He did not even attend a Teacher's day programme.

Taking a jibe at Nitish, the former deputy chief minister tweeted in Hindi saying: "The chief minister of Bihar is not keeping well for past seven days and all his programmes are getting cancelled. I demand for a health bulletin on his ailment and it should be shared with the people of Bihar. I pray for his speedy recovery."

If that wasn't enough, he went on to say: "Whenever Nitish ji falls ill, he keeps himself busy, cooking some political recipe. He should say if he is sick or busy in seat-bargaining talks with the NDA because he has made the entire state sick," Tejashwi said.

This is probably the first time Bihar is seeing politics over health. Leaders have had political differences in the past too, but it never stooped to this. In June, when RJD chief Lalu Prasad underwent a fistula operation in Mumbai, Nitish had paid a courtesy call to inquire after his health but it took an ugly turn when Tejashwi tweeted saying "I hope he realises he is last politician to enquire following BJP/NDA ministers visiting him". He also said, sarcastically, that Nitish got to know about Lalu's health four months after his hospitalisation.

The chief minister was very upset at Tejaswhi's tweet and vowed never to call up Lalu again to enquire about his health. Nitish even said he would like to get updates on Lalu's health from newspapers and added that such remarks could have adverse impact on society and vitiate the atmosphere.

On Saturday, JDU leaders were seething after Tejashwi's tweet, even going as far as calling him illiterate. "Such a low standard comment on a chief minister can only be made by a 9th Class fail," JDU chief spokesperson Sanjay Singh said. "It has become official that after Lalu ji went to jail, the family members have lost their mental balance and the numbers are increasing day by day. He better release a medical bulletin on his family members, specifying those who are going to Agra mental asylum and those who are going to Kanke in Ranchi."

JDU leader and MLC Neeraj Kumar attacked Tejashwi saying he should have some shame before raising questions on someone's ill health.

"Tejashwi should not take politics to such a low standard. He cannot achieve his goal by raising questions on someone's sickness," Neeraj said. "He should have some shame. He better ask his friend Rahul Gandhi for what kind of treatment of disease his mother Sonia Gandhi goes abroad,"

BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand, too, criticised Tejashwi for trivialising the chief minister's health condition. "It reflects his frivolous mindset ," Anand said. He added that when Lalu himself is unwell, it was undignified of Tejashwi to joke about the health of his father's contemporary.