Lalu backs Nitish, tweets 'deploring DNA of elected Bihar CM is akin to insulting all Biharis'

Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad has come out strongly in support of his alliance partner and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the "DNA" remark controversy. Lalu in a series of tweets took of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for apparently questioning Nitish Kumar's "DNA" during a public rally in Bihar's Muzaffarpur.

"A PM ought to be a statesman & must desist from making statements which denigrates forefathers of a particular culture & state," said Lalu in his first tweet on the issue on Thursday. It was followed by two other tweets in which Lalu claimed that Modi's "DNA" comment insulted all Biharis. He also castigated Bihar BJP leaders for backing the Prime Minister.

"Deploring DNA of elected Bihar CM is akin to insulting all Biharis. Appalled that no Bihar BJP leader felt offended by their Gujarati Boss," his second tweet said. He went on to point out that Biharis have the DNA and genes of greats like Gautam Buddha, Karna, Bimbisar, Ashoka & Chanakya.

Lalu's attack came just a day after Nitish and Bihar BJP leaders indulged ina letter war over the Prime Minister's comments.

While the Bihar Chief Minister wrote an open letter to Modi demanding that he withdraw his "DNA" comment as it insulted the entire state, Bihar BJP leaders hit back charging that "arrogance, betrayal, conspiracy and deceit" are the ABCD of Nitish Kumar's politics.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance launched an all-out attack on the Bihar Chief Minister, accusing him of "shamelessly" distorting Modi's words for "petty political gains".

The BJP came out with an open letter signed by its Bihar leaders besides allies from the state to counter Nitish Kumar. "Bihar is not Nitish Kumar and Nitish Kumar is not Bihar", BJP said, adding that Nitish's letter is a perfect illustration of "how greed for power compels an individual to do anything, even trample over the history of a wonderful state like Bihar".