Patna Dec 15 (IANS): While JD-U leaders are giving excuses over the cancellation of Nitish Kumar's rally in Varanasi, Union minister Giriraj Singh claimed on Friday that the rally was cancelled in fear of it becoming a flop show.

Nitish Kumar was scheduled to address a public rally in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on December 24. However, it was cancelled after the local authorities refused to grant permission for the meeting.

“JD-U leaders realised that the rally will turn out to be a flop, and hence they have cancelled it. There is no other reason for cancellation. Nitish Kumar tried to compare himself with PM Narendra Modi, but I want to say that frogs cannot compete with horses in a race,” Singh said.

On Thursday, Shrawan Kumar, state minister and JD-U in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, had said that the administration in Varanasi did not give permission for the rally on December 24 and hence the party decided to call it off.