Sadhu Yadav at his Phulwarisharif home on Saturday; Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi

Patna, Jan. 17: Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s feast of dahi-chuda (curd and beaten rice) at the home of Lalu Prasad’s brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav has left the ruling JDU sharply divided.

While Manjhi left for Shirdi (Maharashtra) to offer prayers at the Sai Baba temple there, JDU spokesman and member of legislative council (MLC) Neeraj Kumar censured the chief minister saying he had violated the JDU’s policies and principles.

“Manjhi has time and again said he is following the mantra of susashan (good governance) enunciated by his predecessor, Nitish Kumar. Susashan has been JDU’s cardinal feature all through. But, by breaking bread with Sadhu — a controversial figure who faces numerous criminal cases — Manjhi has compromised on the party’s principles”.

The statement by Neeraj — supposedly close to Nitish — enraged some ministers seen as belonging to the Manjhi camp. Agriculture minister Narendra Singh, who had recently praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s style of functioning, said: “The spokesman should not cross the laxman rekha (line) while speaking on the chief minister”. He further said: “There is nothing wrong in Manjhi going to Sadhu’s home on invitation. It is the chief minister’s prerogative to decide whom to visit and where to go.”

Education minister Brishen Patel and rural development minister Nitish Mishra, too, defended Manjhi, saying second-rung leaders should not subject the chief minister to criticism.

Manjhi is likely to return, after visiting Mumbai and then Delhi, on January 21. But the row in his party has escalated, with another spokesman, Ajay Alok, demanding Brishen, Nitish (Mishra) and Narendra’s resignations. “These ministers were planning to join the BJP. They should resign and go,” Alok said.

Neeraj released a Gopalganj district administration document that said Sadhu was undergoing trial for a range of cases like violence, forgery and theft. A former RJD MP, Sadhu was apparently a rule unto himself through most of the Lalu-Rabri regime. Lalu had sent Sadhu to the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1996 prior to being elected as an MP in 2004. But Sadhu deserted Lalu on being denied the desired Lok Sabha ticket from Gopalganj in 2009. He is, as of now, a persona non grata for Lalu and his wife Rabri Devi.

In a way, the chief minister snubbed Lalu by feasting on dahi-chuda at Sadhu’s home.

Manjhi had joined Lalu, Nitish and Sharad Yadav at a late night meeting with Nitish on Thursday in connection with the possible JDU-RJD merger. At the meeting, senior Janata Parivar leaders, had reportedly, told Manjhi to keep out of controversy.

But Manjhi went to Sadhu’s house as guest the very next day. He visited the three-storied sprawling bungalow of Sadhu at Mitramandali Colony in Anisabad area at 9.45am and stayed there till 10.30am on Friday.

Sadhu served him curd in an earthen pot. Chuda, tilkut and mixed vegetable of potato and cauliflower were also dished out. Manjhi enjoyed the meal on a peepal tree leaf.

A JDU leader had described the chief minister’s meeting with Sadhu as Manjhi’s bid to create his own space in the ongoing political scenario. “He is pleasing Lalu and troubling Nitish for the past several months,” he said.

It is a well-known fact that Sadhu, after breaking away from Lalu in 2009, had tried to meet Nitish, who was then chief minister. But the latter refused to give Sadhu an audience. Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Sadhu had met then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Gujarat, but it drew flak from Bihar BJP leaders led by Sushil Kumar Modi.

Sadhu used the commotion over hosting Manjhi to train his guns on Lalu and Nitish. “The JDU and RJD are full of bahubalis (strongmen). Anant Singh and Mohammad Shahabuddin are glaring examples of how the parties patronise criminal elements. I am innocent. By accepting my invitation, the chief minister has shown that he was not biased or bore no ill will. I have full respect for him,” he said.