Replying to the question disaster management minister Renu Kumari said on Friday that the foodgrains was sent by train to a voluntary organisation. The state government had nothing to do with it.

Upon this chief minister Nitish Kumar intervened and said during the deluge, he had made it clear that the state government did not want foodgrains and had asked for cash instead. For those who donated in kind, the state government had requested them to donate to the Indian Red Cross as the district magistrate was an ex-officio president of the district unit.

He also said that several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had started relief work on their own. He said that he does not want to comment on the work of these NGOs but the state government can not run a relief camps for four days and then suddenly close it. The chief minister added that many of the items that were sent were not needed by the victims.

This prompted the Leader of Opposition Abdul Bari Siddiqui to ask the minister the name of the NGO that was responsible for receiving the foodgrains at Patna Junction. On this Nitish said that the government was nowhere in the picture. The name of the organisation can be given only by the railways.

This sparked off the war of words between the Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition. At one point of time the chief minister was heard saying 'baal ka khaal nikalna' (indulging in hair-splitting). Upon this Siddiqui said that Nitish was in the habit of beating his own 'nagara'.

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