Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal demanded a high-level inquiry on Friday into the alleged irregularities in the COVID-19 testing in Bihar, after reports suggested glaring gaps between what is on paper and on the ground.

Raising the issue through a Zero Hour mention in the Rajya Sabha, RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha said reports in a national daily have suggested fudging and manipulation of the testing data.

The number of tests to detect the coronavirus infection jumped from 10,000 to one lakh in seven days and to two lakhs in a fortnight, he said.

Names of people registered as being tested either do not exist or the contact numbers and other details are false.

"There is no match of name and mobile numbers... 10 times, '0' (zero) has also been given as the contact number... no contact-tracing could be established," Jha said, citing the news report.

"A high-level inquiry should immediately be constituted to look into the matter," he demanded.

The RJD leader suggested that valid government identification proofs such as Aadhaar card or a PAN card should be relied upon while conducting such tests.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu too remarked that this was a matter for inquiry.

"The issue is important," he said.