Nitish’s key aide taunts Lalu for attending Anant Ambani’s wedding

Patna, Jul 12 (PTI) A close aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday taunted RJD president Lalu Prasad and his family for attending the wedding of Anant Ambani.

State Rural Works Minister Ashok Choudhary was replying to queries from journalists on Prasad, his wife and former CM Rabri Devi leaving for Mumbai along with several other family members.

Choudhary said the RJD supremo “had served as chief minister of Bihar for a long time and hence, there is nothing unusual about his getting an invitation. But we must notice the gap between the words and deeds of these people. Their ally Rahul Gandhi keeps attacking Ambani and Adani. RJD leaders also do the same at their own political rallies”.

Prasad’s son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav had told reporters that they had been “invited” to the wedding of Reliance group chief Mukesh Ambani’s son and they were going to offer their “best wishes”.

Choudhary, the JD(U) leader, also rejected the opposition’s charge that the chief minister was displaying “helplessness” by offering to touch the feet of officials at a public function.

“It is the CM’s humility and his concern for Bihar’s growth. His gestures are aimed at coaxing officials to ensure projects get completed in time. He does not care about amassing wealth for himself,” said the minister in an oblique reference to corruption cases against top leaders of RJD.

Kumar had on Wednesday asked a representative of a private company to expedite a road project in Patna and even offered to touch his feet to speed it up.

The septuagenarian’s awkward gesture came at a function where a stretch of ‘JP Ganga Path’, an expressway along the river that promises to ease traffic congestion in the city, was dedicated to the public.