Patna:The ruling JD(U) on Saturday slammed AAP for claiming that it bore the cost of ferrying migrant workers from Delhi to their home in Bihar, saying the party was speaking "half-truth" as the Arvind Kejriwal government has sought reimbursement of the payment.
The Janata Dal (United) headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar accused the Aam Admi Party (AAP) of resorting to "cheap politics to gain popularity".
The JD(U) also came down heavily on Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav for lapping up the issue to attack the NDA dispensation, asking him to stop the rhetoric and do something good for the people of Bihar.
The AAP had on Friday claimed that the Kejriwal government paid for the migrant labourers travelling home after the Bihar government left them in the lurch.
The train carrying 1,200 migrant labourers left for Muzaffarpur, Bihar today. The Arvind Kejriwal government will bear their full travel cost, Delhi minister Gopal Rai had tweeted on Friday.
In a sharp retort to the AAP, JD(U) spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said on Saturday, First of all, they (Delhi government) paid the fare and later its minister Gopal Rai posted it on Twitter.
"Subsequently the Delhi government sent a letter to Bihar government asking it to reimburse the fare incurred by them... Gopal Rai just told the half-truth to the people through his post, he said.
Such gimmicks are meant to gain cheap popularity," Prasad said.
The Bihar government has unequivocally made it clear that people after completing 21 days at quarantine centre will be reimbursed the full expenses and get an additional assistance of Rs 500 each, he said, adding each person will be getting a minimum assistance of Rs 1,000.