Patna: A senior minister in the ruling Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has compared India’s elite Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to a “dog”, prompting the opposition Bhartiya Janata Party to seek his dismissal from the government.

Disaster Management Minister Professor Chandrashekhar, a member of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) headed by Lalu Prasad, made the remark against country’s premier investigating agency while addressing a meeting of the party on Sunday.

The meeting was held to review the ongoing preparations for RJD’s proposed “BJP bhagao, desh bacahao rally” (dethrone BJP to save India) scheduled to be held in Patna on August 27.

“During the previous UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government, the BJP people used to describe CBI as a ‘parrot’ of the ruling regime. Now, its condition is even worse than a parrot. In fact, it is acting like a dog. The government sets it loose on whoever it wants to harass,” the minister reportedly told a meeting of his party on Sunday.

The BJP has reacted bitterly at these derogatory remarks and sought dismissal of the minister from the cabinet.

“The minister has compared the CBI to a dog which is aimed at insulting country’s top investigating agency. Such a minister must be sacked immediately,” said Bihar opposition leader Prem Kumar on Monday. He said the ruling party minister was trying to weaken the constitutional instigation by making such derogatory remarks.

The RJD which is a coalition partner in the ruling Grand Alliance government led by Kumar is angry after the CBI registered a case of corruption against the party chief Lalu Prasad, wife Rabri Devi, former chief minister, and son Tejashwi Yadav who is the deputy chief minister in the government.

It’s this registration of the case which has caused tension in the ruling alliance as the Janata Dal United headed by chief (JD-U) of chief minister Kumar along with the opposition BJP is now demanding the resignation of deputy chief minister.

The registration of the case by the CBI against the RJD chief and his family was made earlier this month shortly after the party announced the rally plan against the BJP and announced to invite all opposition parties from across the country at the RJD rally scheduled to held at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan. The RJD leaders see a conspiracy behind the registration of the case against party’s top leadership and allege this was apparently done with the intention to foil the party rally.

“But we are not a bit bothered. We will hold the rally at any cost even if our leader Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav are arrested and sent to jail before the event,” declared the disaster management minister.

He said they would put photographs of their leaders at the dais and hold the rally if they are arrested before the event.