PATNA: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s sarcasm-laden comments at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the latter’s description of himself as a ‘fakir’ (hermit) have attracted several sharp jibes from netizens.
Modi had described himself as a ‘fakir’ in his speech at BJP’s campaign rally in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, saying: “I am being hounded as if I have committed some crime by waging a battle against corruption. But what can my opponents do to me? I am a fakir (hermit)…jhola ley kar chaley jayenge (I will depart only with a few bags of my belongings).”
Yadav, who has lately taken to attacking the PM on sundry issues on twitter, latched on to the word ‘fakir’ and wrote: “Has any hermit ever said that business is in his blood? Can being a hermit and conducting business go hand in hand? Hermits do not publicise their status; they are worried about it”.
This tweet by Yadav unleashed a string of sarcastic comments by the twitterati who alluded to the former Bihar chief minister’s controversial tenure in the state that was marred by allegations of the massive Rs 1,100-crore fodder scam in the mid-nineties.
“Lalu Prasad, you are left with no ‘fodder’ (chara in Hindi) except making such bitter comments,” tweeted Anand Varma. “Sir, you must have hear of King Janak. He was called Rajarshi. Find out why so and you will find the answer,” wrote one who goes by the twitter name ‘Asahishnu Murali #BMJ’.
Another twitter commenter described Yadav as “chara chor” (fodder thief) and said whenever he (Yadav) opened his lips he yielded cow dung. “Lalu Prasad would soon leave everyone a mendicant,” wrote Dr Dhrub Gohel. “How can someone who ate fodder describe himself as a cowherd (gwala)?” tweeted Kapil Jain. Yadav takes great pride in being from the community of cattle-rearers.
“Lalu Prasad, has anyone ever said that fodder is in their blood? How can fodder and politics go hand in hand? Very strange talent this,” wrote Nidhi Maheshwari, a management consultant.