Nitish Kumar attacks Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi

Hitting back at Congress President Sonia Gandhi for her statement alleging corruption in development schemes in Bihar, chief minister Nitish Kumar today described her party as the "mother of corruption".

"It is Congress which has promoted corruption all through. It is the mother of corruption. You are talking about corruption in Bihar, what happened to 3G spectrum and CWG scam," Kumar said while jointly addressing his first election meeting with senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj in Patna.

They were canvassing for support for state NDA convener and senior minister Nand Kishor Yadav in Patna Sahib assembly constituency.

Swaraj also made similar charges against the Congress and said, "The NDA would raise the issue of corruption in organising Commonwealth Games in New Delhi."

Brushing aside the Congress president's charge that the state government has failed to use Central funds, Kumar described it as a baseless allegation.

"We have requested the prime minister on several occasions during the past five years to pay a visit to Bihar but he failed to give any positive response. Now when these leaders are coming to Bihar, they choose the opportunity to criticise us. What happened to our demand for according special status to Bihar," Kumar said.

He also alleged that the Centre did not cooperate with the state government in providing package for rehabilitation of people and reconstruction of Kosi belt devastated by unprecedented floods in 2008.

The Centre also did not care to help reach aid to the state where all the 38 districts were declared drought-hit, he said.