Defeat BJP, Sonia urges people of Bihar

Reject fake aura, give fitting reply to forces that insulted you, says Congress president.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi receives a memento from Bihar Congress chief Ashok Choudhary during a rally in Patna on Sunday. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (centre) was also seen. Photo: Ranjeet Kumar

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and leaders of the grand alliance on Sunday appealed to the people of Bihar not to be taken away by the “fake aura” of the BJP and “defeat” that party in the Assembly poll.

They were addressing the first joint Swabhiman rally in Patna. However, BJP leaders dubbed the rally a “government-sponsored flop rally.”

Visibly excited at the large crowd, Ms. Gandhi, in her 15-minute speech, said that with their huge presence “the people of Bihar have proved that they would protect their Swabhiman [self-respect] at all costs.”

The grand alliance has called the Swabhiman rally against Mr. Modi’s “insult” to the people of Bihar with his DNA jibe.

Ms. Gandhi said: “Some people take pleasure in ridiculing Bihar … on its DNA, sometimes on its culture ... they also call it a BIMARU [an acronym coined by economist Ashish Bose for underdeveloped States in the 1980s] State.”

Lauds Nitish, Lalu

Sharing stage with RJD chief Lalu Prasad, JD (U) president Sharad Yadav, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, Ms. Gandhi credited both Mr. Prasad and Mr. Kumar for Bihar’s development. The RJD chief cheered on the dais when Ms. Gandhi took his name.

“But, Bihar needs more and the BJP-led NDA government has been doing nothing except making false promises and declarations,” she said.

Referring to Mr. Modi’s promises of bringing back black money to every citizen’s account, creating jobs for jobless youths and welfare measures for farmers, Ms. Gandhi alleged that “now after one-fourth of his time gone, people have lost faith in the NDA government.”

‘Funds cut’

She also raised questions on cut in funds for major social security schemes such as the MGNREGA and corruption in BJP-ruled States. “What has happened to his [Mr. Modi’s] 56-inch chest when Pakistan kept firing at the border?” asked the Congress president.

Later Mr. Kumar targeted the Modi government on various counts. Mr. Kumar dubbed the rally day a “historic day” when the Prime Minister had to “take back his steps on the land acquisition ordinance.”

Special status

Mr. Kumar took on the Prime Minister on his alleged DNA jibe against him, special package for Bihar, for not fulfilling promises of bringing back black money. He attacked Mr. Modi for repeatedly calling the previous RJD regime as “Jungle Raj” and reiterated his demand for “special status” to Bihar.

“They called my DNA wrong … they asked me who I am? ... I want to tell them I’m of you all and my DNA is same what of all people living in Bihar,” said Mr. Kumar. He said that “from tomorrow the process of sending the DNA samples of people of Bihar to the Prime Minister’s Office would begin.”

Pointing out the PM’s announcement on Rs. 1.25 lakh crore “special package” for Bihar, Mr. Kumar said that 87 % of it were just old projects. “It’s all repackaging in the name of special package,” he said.

Caste census

Demanding release of caste census data, Mr. Prasad said, “The BJP is to divide the country and ignite Hindu-Muslim riots … we all have to be cautious about them.”

The RJD chief also mocked at the BJP for calling his regime as “Jungle Raj part-2” saying, “it’s not Jungle Raj part-2 but Mandal Raj part 2.”

Mr. Prasad cautioned the backward classes to remain united “as the BJP would try to divide us.”

However, State BJP and LJP leaders dubbed the Swabhiman rally “a government-sponsored rally in which government machinery was misused … but, despite all it came out as a flop rally.”