By Manoj Pathak

Patna, Mar 22 (IANS): The politics in Bihar has intensified after current Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's photograph was found missing from banners displayed during a government function in Katihar district.

The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) took a dig at this, saying that the BJP was at its dirty tricks by playing 'Khela Hobe' (loosely translated as 'Game On').

The occasion was the foundation stone laying ceremony of a 100-bedded hospital and the Haflaganj additional primary health centre on Sunday. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad and state Health Minister Mangal Pandey were present at the ceremony, but the banners displayed on the stage did not contain any picture of the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar nor did it mention his name.

The banners pasted on the stage only had a picture of the Deputy Chief Minister and the state Health Minister.

Both Tarkishore Prasad and Mangal Pandey are BJP leaders. The JD(U) is running the government in the state in alliance with the BJP.

The JD(U) leaders were shocked to see the Chief Minister's picture missing from the banners pasted on the stage, leaving the BJP leaders in an uncomfortable position.

JD(U) MLA from Bari constituency, Vijay Singh, and Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor, Suraj Prakash Rai, including several JD(U) leaders were visibly upset. The JD(U) leaders said they were insulted by the event organisers who ignored them.

The JD(U) leaders said, "It is a huge mistake not to place a photo of the current Chief Minister in a government programme. The local MLAs have also not been named in the inauguration stone of the government event. The organising committee has committed a big blunder."

The JD(U) leaders, however, denied any differences with the NDA alliance.

Tarkishore Prasad also looked uncomfortable after this incident. He accepted the lapse and said, "There seems to have been a lapse. We only work under the leadership of the Chief Minister and are his colleagues in the state cabinet."

Commenting on the missing Nistish Kumar photo, the RJD Spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said that after breaking the JD(U) by inducting its party MLAs into the BJP in Arunachal Pradesh, the saffron party has started showing its true colours in Bihar. He said the BJP is now trying to destabilise Nitish Kumar from being in power, adding that it has started its game plan and this is the 'Khela Hobe' of the BJP.

Tiwari said the photo of the Chief Minister missing in the government programme is a clear message from the BJP. He said if it is a lapse, then against whom and what action was taken after committing this lapse.