PATNA: Political propriety has gone for a toss in the surcharged setting of the Bihar polls with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his main challenger, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, frequently touching new lows through personal attacks albeit indirectly.
On Monday at an election rally in Vaishali, Nitish took potshots at Lalu’s family with his “eight-nine” children jibe. Not someone who remains quiet, Tejashwi sought to turn the table on Nitish saying the CM’s statement also applies to PM Narendra Modi who has many siblings.
It is not the first time that the two leaders have traded barbs at each other. In a free-for-all and no-holds-barred slugfest, Nitish had earlier taken a dig at Tejashwi saying “ask your father or mother if they made any school or college when they had the chance.” But the Monday’s statement was a new low given that a veteran like Nitish, known for dignified speeches, made a personal attack against ailing RJD president Lalu Prasad.
“Kisi ko chinta hai kya? 8-9 bachhe paida karte hai. Beti pe koi bhraosa nahi aur 7-8 beti ho jane baad ladka hua. Kaise Bihar banana chahte hai kuch log? Agar logo ka yahi aadasrh hain to Bihar ka kya hoga? (Does anyone care? Some people beget 8-9 children. They don’t trust daughters. They had 7-8 daughters before the birth of sons. What kind of Bihar do such people want to make? If this is their ideal, what will happen to Bihar?” Nitish had thundered.
On Tuesday, Tejashwi accused Nitish of hurting the sentiment of women in general and his mother Rabri Devi in particular. “By commenting on my family, Nitish Kumar is targeting PM Modi as he also has six siblings,” he added.
LJP chief draws flak after video goes viral
A viral video on social media in which LJP chief Chirag Paswan is seen rehearsing before the shooting of a video to pay homage to his father sparked a massive criticism.
The Congress was the first to attack LJP by sharing the video on Twitter. In the viral video, Chirag clad in white is heard giving directions to the cameraman. Congress leader Pankhuri Pathak tweeted that politics is maligned due to such characters. Soon, JD-U jumped in to criticise Chirag.
Vote for change, for a new Bihar: Sonia
Congress president Sonia Gandhi attacked the Bihar government, saying the BJP-JD(U) alliance has deviated from its path and was high on power and ego. She appealed to voters to herald a change in the state and build a ‘new Bihar’.
In a video message, she said the government is neither saying good nor doing good and labourers are helpless, farmers are upset and youth disappointed with it.
“Time has come for ushering in change in the state,” Sonia said.