PATNA/GAYA: Amid reports of growing distance between Jitan Ram Manjhi and Nitish Kumar, the Bihar Chief Minister today dismissed claims that he had any "difference" with his predecessor and blamed media for "triggering a controversy through wrong portrayal".
"Mere aur Nitish Kumar me Choli Daman ka saath hain (we are deeply attached to each other)," Manjhi told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Gaya.
Further seeking to play down the controversy, Manjhi said, "He (Kumar) is looking after party affairs and I am seeing work of the government."
Dismissing reports on "differences" between him and Kumar, Manjhi blamed media for triggering controversy through "wrong portrayal."
"One electronic media fudged report to show my wife saying she is performing Chhath so that I can get second term as chief minister...this is sheer lie and a motivated news," Manjhi alleged.
The reports of "differences" between Kumar and Manjhi started doing the rounds after the CM made some remarks which indicated that he was keen on having a second term as chief minister after 2015 polls.
Though Kumar, who had handpicked Manjhi to succeed him after he stepped down in wake of JD(U) debacle in general election, has not uttered a word on the issue, some events which he skipped and where Manjhi was present gave rise to the speculations.
Kumar had recently called a meeting of party MPs and MLAs over his "Samparak Yatra" but Manjhi was not present.