PATNA: Bihar’s political climate is heating up ahead of assembly elections, with the main opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) launching a fresh attack on the Nitish Kumar government.
On Wednesday RJD erected posters showing the NDA government lying on a ventilator as a patient while the leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav as a doctor to treat illness.
The posters prepared by RJD general secretary Bhai Arun claimed that the Bihar government led by Nitish Kumar is similar to a patient lying on the ventilator for its survival. The posters erected on main roads of the state capital, including Birchand Patel marg showed Tejashwi Yadav taking care of the patient with a lantern (RJD’s election symbol) on his hand.
The posters also threw light on promises made to the people of the state by Tejashwi during his recent meetings with workers of the party. They talked about 200 units of electricity free of cost, enhancing the old age pension scheme from Rs 400 to Rs 500 and cash benefits to women under Mai-Bahin Samman Yojna besides other poll promises.
RJD also attacked the state government for its failure to contain crime. “NDA government in Bihar is responsible for the poor law and order situation,” the posters said, adding that the situation is going from bad to worse while Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is maintaining a stony silence over it.
Tejashwi, who is being projected as Grand Alliance’s chief ministerial candidate, also shared the posters on his social media account 'X'. Tejashwi didn’t forget to attach the crime data on his social media account to buttress his point on law and order, which has been the USP of the NDA government in Bihar.
RJD’s posters attracted sharp reactions from ruling alliance partners—JD(U) and BJP. A senior JD(U) leader and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said that it sounded absurd when Tejashwi attacked Nitish Kumar-led NDA government on law-and-order issue. “It seems that he has forgotten RJD rule when people were living under constant threat and fear,” he added.
Neeraj claimed that 118 incidents of massacres, 66,249 murders, 12,827 rape and 5,243 kidnapping for ransom took place during Lalu Prasad’s regime.
“It sounds strange when RJD demands Bharat Ratna for a leader who had once become synonymous with ‘jungle raj’ for its poor law and order situation,” JD(U) MLC added.
He also reminded the recent statement of Lalu’s brother in-law Subhash Yadav who alleged that ransom for the release of affluent captives was finalised after the intervention of Lalu Prasad at the chief minister’s official residence.
Numerous businessmen migrated to other states out of fear of abduction, he asserted. BJP also echoed similar statements on the issue and said that RJD has no moral right to attack the NDA government, which has been performing exceptionally well. “RJD has no moral right to attack NDA at least on law-and-order issue,” said BJP leader Rakesh Kumar.