Nitish Kumar neither weak nor helpless to act on Tejaswi: JD(U)

New Delhi: Amid strain in the 'mahagathbandhan' in Bihar over the corruption charges framed against Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) on Saturday said neither Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is weak nor helpless to take action in this matter and added that only time will tell what happens next.

Quoting a snippet from Bismil Azimabadi's poem 'Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna', JD(U) leader Ajay Alok said, "Waqt aane de bataayenge tujhe ae aasman, hum abhi se kya bataayein kya hamare dil mein hai!"

"Neither we are weak nor helpless. No need to worry about it," he added.

Earlier on Saturday, Tejashwi did not attend a 'Vishwa Yuva Kaushal Divas' event as his name was mentioned on the invitation; but later removed.

The event was attended by Nitish Kumar.

Lalu had earlier stated that the grand alliance in Bihar is an unbreakable bond, adding that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will not let the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) break the alliance.

It is being said that after the JD(U) urged Tejaswi Yadav to come out clean on the corruption charges imposed by the CBI and the ED and asked Lalu to declare his assets and reveal the source of income, the rift between the alliance partners in the state seemed to have widened, indicating that the alliance is inching towards a split.

Earlier last week, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a corruption case against Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejaswi; former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director P.K. Goyal; and the wife of Lalu's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

The CBI later questioned Rabri Devi and Tejaswi.

However, Lalu on Friday said that his son Tejaswi Yadav, who is facing corruption charges, will not resign as Bihar Deputy Chief Minister.