Ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar due later this year, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday exhorted all sections of the backward classes to remain united to take on the resurgent BJP. Mr Prasad also blamed mobile phones for “spoiling” the chances of other parties in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
After the formal announcement of the merger of Janata parivar, both Mr. Prasad and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of JD(U) were to address the “Prajapati Rajnaitik Chetna Rally”, a BC community of Kumhars (potters) at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan but Mr. Kumar chose to skip the meeting.
“Don’t make it an issue. If Lalu comes it means Nitish has come and if Nitish comes it means Lalu has come…we both are united now”, said Mr. Prasad to journalists on the occasion.
The RJD chief criticised the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to l fulfil promises made during Lok Sabha polls.
“Have you got Rs. 15 lakh in your bank accounts which he had promised?...Now, they will grab your land through Land acquisition bill…what you’ll do then?” asked Mr Prasad.
He also took a dig at Mr. Modi being projected as a tea-seller in his early days. “Have you ever seen him selling tea?...when I’d not seen him, how come would you?...its all propaganda spread by the RSS (Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh) through mobile phones,” he said.
“In fact, it’s all because of this mobile phone that the BJP managed to fool you during Lok Sabha poll…it spoilt the whole game for other parties,” said Mr. Prasad, displaying a borrowed mobile phone in his hand. The BJP, he said would try to fool people again with such tall promises through mobile phones “but you all should remain alert and vigilant…give them the message that this will not happen in Bihar again”, he appealed to the crowd.
