Sushil Modi slammed for attacking JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar

PATNA: The war of words between two erstwhile allies in the state escalated today with a senior minister today slamming former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi for holding JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar responsible for all wrongs afflicting Bihar.

"Sushil Modi has become 'Nitishophobic' as a result of which he can not help but dream about the former chief minister even in his sleep," minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh told reporters here.

Singh was responding to the former deputy chief minister's attack on Kumar for alleged irregularities in tendering for projects related to the Major District Roads (MDRs) in the state earlier this year.

Referring to Modi's charge about delay in execution of road projects, Singh said that the senior BJP leader by saying so was trying to corner his own colleague Nandkishore Yadav who held the Road Construction Department for three and a half years in the Kumar government and during his stint most of the road projects were sanctioned.

Singh also questioned Modi's financial management during his eight year-long stint as the finance and commercial taxes minister and said that the latter had proved himself "inefficient".

Referring to the alleged mismanagement of AC/DC bills drawing sharp criticism from the Auditor and Comptroller General of India (CAG), he claimed, for some of his earlier decisions as finance minister, the development process had slowed down in the state.