Name calling of the mythological kind

June 30, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:48 am IST - PATNA:

Once party colleagues, now rivals:Lalu Prasad and Pappu Yadav

Once party colleagues, now rivals:Lalu Prasad and Pappu Yadav

Ahead of the Assembly polls, Bihar leaders lob mythological and historical name at each other.

A day after RJD chief Lalu Prasad called the expelled MP, Pappu Yadav, Mir Zafar and Jai Chand, the treacherous historical characters, Mr. Pappu Yadav on Monday compared Lalu Prasad to Duryodhana and Kans.

“Lalu Prasad acted as Duryodhana and Kans for his own Yadav caste and the Muslims who made him a powerful leader,” said Mr. Pappu Yadav, who founded the Jan Adhikar Party after he was expelled from the RJD.

Mr. Pappu Yadav, a heavyweight Yadav leader from Kosi, considered himself a descendent of Lord Krishna and said: “He would fight against Duryodhana and Kans for the justice and self-respect of his community and society at large.”

He also corrected Mr. Lalu Prasad, saying: “Since he was thrown out of the RJD by Lalu Prasad, he could be Mir Kasim and not Mir Jafar or Jai Chand.”

He accused Mr. Lalu Prasad of being “politically illiterate.” “For the political future of his children, Mr. Lalu Prasad has thrown out not only him but also such Yadav leaders as Ramkripal Yadav, Ranjan Yadav, Nawal Kishore Yadav and Awadh Bihari Chaudhary from the party,” he said.

Earlier, Mr. Lalu Prasad called the former Chief Minister and leader of the Hindustani Awam Morcha, Jitan Ram Manjhi, “Vibhishan” after he was expelled from the ruling Janata Dal (United). Pat came the reply from Mr. Manjhi: “Mr. Lalu Prasad is Ravana.”

Two days ago, Arun Kumar, Jehanabad MP of the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), an ally of the BJP, stunned everyone by saying: “Nitish Kumar [the Chief Minister] should not take his community for granted as it knows how to break his chest.” Mr. Arun Kumar hails from the upper caste Bhumihar community and he was reacting to the government’s “barbaric” action against the Bhumihars after the arrest of Bahubali MLA Anant Singh of the JD(U), also a Bhumihar.

Mr. Nitish Kumar responded that he could not stoop so low in his political discourse. “But such has become [NDA] leaders’ mindset. I’m here and he [Mr. Arun Kumar] can do with me as he wishes.”

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