Lalu drives down memory lane, visits RJD office in Patna

Party patriarch inaugurates giant, stone lantern, the party symbol

Down the memory lane: Lalu Prasad Yadav drives an old jeep, his first vehicle on Wednesday in Patna.

In a trip down memory lane, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday drove a jeep, his first vehicle and later inaugurated a 11-foot ‘lantern’ (the party’s symbol) at the RJD headquarters in Patna. Mr. Yadav also praised his heir apparent and younger son Tejashwi Yadav for steering the party to new heights

“After several years, I drove my first vehicle. In this world everyone is a driver in some way or another. May the vehicle of love, harmony, equality, prosperity, peace, patience, justice and happiness in everyone’s life keep running with joy by taking everyone along,” tweeted Mr. Prasad in Hindi along with the video of him driving the jeep.

Clad in a white vest and

dhoti , Mr. Prasad, 73, looked composed while driving the vehicle which he had bought several years ago as his first vehicle.

“I use to drive this vehicle with the then chief minister Karpoori Thakur who while sitting beside me kept telling me that I drive fast and well. It was his (Mr Thakur) way to tell me to drive slowly,” Mr Prasad recalled with a smile.

As he drove around, his aides keep reminding him to go slow even as onlookers took pictures while some shouted “Lalu Yadav zindabad”.

Later, Mr Yadav reached the party headquarters at Beerchand Patel Marg in Patna to inaugurate a huge, six ton, 11-foot lantern made of stone brought from Rajasthan.

“The lantern will keep burning all the time and look for development which the Nitish Kumar government claims to have brought to the State,” Mr. Prasad quipped.

Praising his heir apparent and younger son Tejashwi Yadav for steering the RJD to a new high, Mr Prasad assured party leaders and workers that “their government will definitely be formed in the State”.

Mr. Prasad was back at the party headquarters after four years.

However, ruling party JD(U) leaders took pot shot over Mr Prasad inaugurating lantern in the modern world. “There is no use of inaugurating a lantern in the age of LED bulbs with which chief minister Nitish Kumar has illuminated the state in terms of development and all round growth”, said JD(U) leader and party spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.