PATNA: Bihar's divisive politics took an unseemly turn on Friday after the ruling JD(U) released a photo of RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav with an unknown girl and a liquor bottle in the background, claiming him of having a ‘drunken partying’ moment.
The release of Tejaswi Yadav photo came as a direct hit to the opposition leader who released chief minister Nitish Kumar’s photo with hooch tragedy accused Rakesh Singh at the CM’s official residence four days ago.
The two parties have been engaged in accusing each other using photos of opponent leaders.
“This is a photo of Bihar’s former deputy chief minister. The liquor bottle is clearly visible in it, and he is having a good time with a girl… The way Tejaswi Yadav looks…the impact of liquor is visible,” said JD(U) spokesperson and MLC Sanjay Singh as he displayed Tejaswi’s photograph with the girl to journalists.
“We want to assert that (RJD chief) Lalu Yadav and his sons drink alcohol. If a blood test is conducted, it can be revealed to be true,” he said, adding that Tejaswi, who is Lalu’s younger son, is used to amassing illegal wealth and partying with girls. “Why is it that Tejaswi does not live at the state government-owned Bihar Niwas during his visits to New Delhi?” asked Neeraj Kumar, another JD(U) spokesperson and MLC.
The RJD leader swiftly responded to the allegations saying the “innocuous photo” is a “lowly retaliation by a demoralised JD(U)”.
He admitted that it was his photo but accused Nitish Kumar of ordering a “smear campaign” against him following RJD’s allegations of massive corruption in the implementation of prohibition.
Describing JD(U)’s charges as a “dirty, futile effort to sully my political image”. He said, “This photo is perhaps from 2010, before I joined politics. I do not personally know this lady. Maybe the lady is married now and has children. What would happen to her if she and her family get to know of this political controversy over that photo? Why should JD(U) harm her image for no reason at all?”
Meanwhile, RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav accused JD(U) leaders of “playing dirty politics” by showing an old photograph. “Should we now start peeping into the bedrooms of JD(U) leaders? If their blood is tested, it would be known how many times they have changed their castes and religions for politics,” he added.