Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while campaigning for the Jamui Lok Sabha seat in Bihar, lashed out at the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) over a remark made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Last week, while campaigning in Maner under the Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency, from where she is contesting, RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s eldest daughter Misa Bharati said that if the INDIA bloc came to power, all BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would be sent to jail.
Mr. Singh took a dig at the RJD while campaigning for Arun Bharati, candidate for the Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (LJP-RV) led by Chirag Paswan. Mr. Bharati also happens to be the brother-in-law of Mr. Paswan.
“Lalu Prasad-ji is my friend but I am really shocked to listen to the statement by his family member, who said that Modi-ji will be put behind bars if they form the government. Someone rightly quipped, na nau man tel hoga, na Radha nachegi (if the sky falls, we shall catch larks). Those who are already in jail, and some are on bail, they want to send Modi-ji to jail,” Mr. Singh laughed.
Referring to the people of Bihar as “sensible public”, Mr. Singh added that the people would outright reject such leaders.
He did not spare Mr. Prasad’s younger son Tejaswhi Yadav, over a video that has since gone viral, showing him eating fish in a helicopter during Navaratri.
“What kind of message does he want to give by eating fish during the Navratri festival? I don’t mind him eating fish, pig, pigeon, elephant, horse or anything but what was the need to show it? It is only for vote and it is called politics of appeasement to make people of certain communities happy. I will ask Lalu-ji to hold on to such people. Politics should not be only for the vote bank,” Mr. Singh said.
He also termed the RJD and the Congress party as enemies of the Backward Classes, and highlighted that the Narendra Modi government had honoured the late former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur with the Bharat Ratna.
“These people are in politics only to make property and family, but we do politics to build the nation,” Mr. Singh said.
He also praised Mr. Paswan and termed him an important alliance partner of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). “We are missing Ram Vilas Paswan-ji today. He was a very kind-hearted person. He handed over his legacy to Chirag Paswan. Let me say this that Chirag is not an ordinary youth. He is a run hitter on the pitch of the NDA. He has the calibre to hit runs, whatever is required. He is leading the party now and I am sure that Chirag will fulfil the dream of Ram Vilas Paswan-ji,“ Mr. Singh said.
He also praised Mr. Bharati, the NDA’s candidate, saying that after becoming the MP of Jamui, he would serve the people of the constituency.
The Defence Minister was sharing the stage with several other BJP and LJP(RV) leaders. Both Deputy Chief Ministers, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, were present.
Aiming for an NDA government at the Centre for the third consecutive term, Mr. Singh said that leaders of other countries were already inviting Mr. Modi for next year’s functions in their respective countries.
Like other national BJP leaders, Mr. Singh too recalled the three major achievements of the NDA government — withdrawal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, and declaring the practice of triple talaq a punishable act.
The Jamui Lok Sabha seat has over 17 lakh voters, with over 5.5 lakh Muslims and Yadavs. It is a Scheduled Caste (SC) reserved seat with nearly 2.5 lakh SC voters.
Almost 90% of the voters come from rural areas, and its six Assembly segments are spread over three districts — Munger, Sheikhpur, and Jamui.
The Jamui Lok Sabha has been represented by Mr. Chirag Paswan for the last two terms, and his party is in direct contest with the RJD’s Archana Ravidas, wife of RJD leader Mukesh Yadav.
Jamui goes to vote in the first phase on April 19.
