Patna, Jun 17 (Agencies) : Within 24 hours of the Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal United split, the two parties are taking potshots at each other. The BJP has hit back at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for accusing that the BJP does not respect its elders.

Bihar BJP leader Giriraj Singh said Nitish Kumar has a double face and was frustrated. "Nitish ji has a double face, he is speaking because of his frustration."

Singh said Nitish cheated the people of Bihar and stabbed the BJP on the back. "Nitish should tell why he praised Narendra Modi ji in 2003. He cheated the people of Bihar, he stabbed us on the back," Singh said.

BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu also hit out at Nitish saying, "Let him take care of his party. Let him take care of George Fernandes. He need not interfere in our internal matters."
This came after Nitish took on the BJP over the recent LK Advani issue. "I praised the Advani-Atal era, they forgot that, they forgot their elders. What can we I say about those who forget their elders," said Nitish.

Nitish said the BJP never made an effort to address the JD(U)'s concerns. "If Atal ji not well, at least Advani could have addressed the concerns raised in the alliance. If they are moving forward without addressing the concerns raised by the alliance, then what could we have done. The central BJP leaders kept calling, asking us not to take a decision. But they were never ready to give us an assurance on what they will do about our concerns," Nitish said.

Nitish also clarified on his 2003 speech on Narendra Modi released by the BJP. Nitish said praising Modi then was protocol. "When I used to visit other states as a railway minister, those speeches were never political. It's part of the protocol to praise the host state and not to speak against them," Nitish said.

Nitish Kumar on Sunday ended his 17-year-old alliance with the BJP and making it clear that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's elevation has filled the JD(U) with apprehension about the future of the alliance, also accusing the BJP of succumbing to the 'autocratic personality cult' with no respect for democratic process.