Janata Dal (United) vice-president and poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Saturday challenged Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav to publicly reveal what transpired between the two when they talked.

Kishor’s dare came a day after former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi claimed that he had proposed a merger of JD(U) and the RJD. The claim triggered a war of words between the strategist-turned-politician and RJD top brass, including Tejashwi Yadav.

In a scathing attack on Lalu Yadav, Kishor posted a tweet on Saturday challenging the jailed RJD leader to a debate before the media.

“Those convicted or facing charges of abuse of public office and misappropriation of funds are claiming to be the custodians of truth,” Kishor wrote referring to Yadav.

“Whenever @laluprasadrjd ji wants, he should sit with me before the media as it would let everybody know what transpired between me and him and who gave an offer to whom,” he wrote in Hindi.

Those convicted or facing charges of abuse of public office and misappropriation of funds are claiming to be the custodians of truth.@laluprasadrjd जी जब चाहें, मेरे साथ मीडिया के सामने बैठ जाएं, सबको पता चल जाएगा कि मेरे और उनके बीच क्या बात हुई और किसने किसको क्या ऑफर दिया।

— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) April 13, 2019

In response, RJD posted a tweet from its official handle taking a swipe at Kishor.

“Pandey ji, our party chief has more experience than your age. So many ‘bazaaru’ and short-lived politicians like you have come and gone. Your fraud-giri will not work here. You sell your stuff to Nitish-Modi. If we reveal the truth, you will lose your worth,” the tweet posted in Hindi read.

पांडे जी, तुम्हारी जितनी उम्र है उससे ज़्यादा राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष जी को राजनीतिक अनुभव है। तुम्हारे जैसे पता नहीं कितने बाज़ारू लोग और छुईमुई नेता आए-गए एवं बनाए-बिगाड़े है। तुम्हारी फ़्रॉडगिरी यहाँ नहीं चलेगी।अपने आप को नीतीश-मोदी के सामने बेचो।पोल खोल दी तो कहीं के नहीं रहोगे। https://t.co/wjU8HWuEZb

— Rashtriya Janata Dal (@RJDforIndia) April 13, 2019

Lalu Yadav had earlier claimed that Nitish Kumar when had wanted to return to the alliance but he refused to accept him.

Reacting to that report on 5 April, Kishor took a jibe at Yadav tweeting that it was a “poor attempt seeking relevance by a leader whose best days are behind him”.

“The claims made by Laluji as reported are BOGUS. This is nothing but a poor attempt seeking relevance by a leader whose best days are behind him. Yes, we did meet many times before I joined JDU, but if I were to tell what all was discussed then he would be quite embarrassed,” he wrote.

On the same day Tejashwi Yadav backed his father’s claim.

“I say this with full responsibility, Nitish Kumar made many attempts to get back and ally with us. He tried many different approaches, that also within 6 months of returning to NDA,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

To that Kishor shot back rebuffing Tejashwi as an insignificant leader.

“@yadavtejashwi even today your identity in the eyes of the people is that you are the son of Lalu Prasad Yadav. For this reason alone you are the head of RJD in the absence of your father and were made DyCM in Nitish Kumar’s government. But in real terms, you will have an identity when you so something, however small, on your own,” he wrote.

.@yadavtejashwi आज भी लोगों के लिए आपकी पहचान और उपलब्धि बस इतनी है कि आप लालूजी के लड़के हैं।

इसी एक वजह से पिता की अनुपस्थिति में आप RJD के नेता हैं और नीतीशजी की सरकार में DyCM बनाए गए थे। पर सही मायनों में आपकी पहचान तब होगी, जब आप छोटा ही सही पर अपने दम पर कुछ करके दिखाएंगे https://t.co/soOAuJKktT

— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) April 5, 2019

Lalu is currently undergoing treatment at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi under judicial custody after his conviction in fodder scam cases.

Kumar had walked out of the Mahagathbandhan in 2017 and re-joined the BJP-led NDA. Kishor was the strategist of the Mahagathbandhan in the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls. He joined the JD(U) in September 2018 .