Leader of the opposition in Bihar assembly Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday criticised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for skipping the Niti Aayog meeting in New Delhi, stating that it showed his seriousness about the development of the state.

Yadav said that while Kumar could go to Delhi to attend the conference of NDA CMs, he could not attend the crucial Niti Aayog meeting, which was attended by most chief ministers of the country.

Kumar had reached Delhi on Saturday afternoon, shortly after the meeting got over, to attend the NDA CMs' conference on Sunday.

"This shows the CM's lack of seriousness about Bihar and its people. He preferred to attend a political meeting, which was held on Sunday, and for that he went to Delhi a day before," the RJD leader said.

"This is what I have been saying, the BJP and JD(U) are least bothered about Bihar. The law and order situation has completely collapsed in the state," he claimed.

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor claimed Kumar was "prevented" by state bureaucrats from attending the NITI Aayog meeting as he has become "mentally unsound".

"Nitish Kumar is not able to remember his own name. His mental condition would have been exposed to the whole country, so he was not allowed to attend the meeting. The CM claps while the national anthem is played. The BJP has made up its mind to do away with him after the elections. So he was kept away from the meeting," Kishor alleged.

JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said the CM could not attend the meeting as he had some important engagements in Patna, but the issues concerning the state were raised well.

"I must say that Bihar was well represented in the NITI Aayog meeting. Yes, the CM could not attend the meeting as he had some important engagements in Patna in the first half. But, the issues related to the state raised and discussed in the meeting were finalised by the CM himself," he said.

"Earlier also, CM did not attend the meeting... and the state was represented by the then deputy CM. This time too, both deputy CMs attended the meeting," he added.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.