Patna: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) party has given a call for a five-hour bandh in Bihar on September 4 to protest against the abusive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother, Heeraben, during the Voter Adhikar Yatra launched by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Darbhanga.
Announcing the bandh call, Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal said that the bandh call will be effective from 7 am to 12 noon on September 4 (Thursday). However, railways and emergency services have been exempted from the ambit of the bandh, he told the media.
Jaiswal, who was watching PM Modi on TV in the party office, literally broke down. Slamming the Congress-RJD, BJP state president asked what bigger sin could be than abusing the PM's mother, who is no more and has nothing to do with politics.
"Rahul Gandhi has brought ‘shame’ to the land of Bihar by allowing a man to hurl abuses on PM and his late mother from the stage meant for Voter Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga last week,” Jaiswal said, adding that the party would observe bandh as a mark of protest.
Lauding the efforts of PM Modi for Bihar’s development, Jaiswal said that on Tuesday he (PM) provided financial assistance to mothers and daughters of the state. Around 20 mothers and sisters were listening to PM Modi when he disbursed financial aid to the state, he said.
He added that a decision to observe bandh on September 4 was taken after a meeting with leaders of women cells of all five constituents of NDA. The women cells of NDA allies were deeply hurt by the behaviour of Congress-RJD leaders.
JD(U) state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha said that the way PM Modi and his late mother was abused from a public platform was against democratic norms. "One may differ on political ideologies, but it does mean that family should be dragged into controversy," he said.
Kushwaha, who was present at the press conference, expressed surprise over the silence of Congress-RJD senior leaders over the issue. "So far no reactions have come the top leaders of Congress-RJD neither they have apologised for the incident," he asserted.
Raju Tiwari, state president of LJP(RV), said that humiliating women had been the tradition of Congress-RJD, and the Darbhanga incident was just a reflection of it.
Madan Choudhary of RLM was also present at the press conference. JD(U) women's cell president Bharti Mehta said what is more shocking that abuses were hurled on PM’s late mother from the land of ‘Mithilanchal’, which has always given preferences to women in every sphere of life. "This is more humiliating, and it will not be tolerated," she remarked.
On the other hand, Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar said that BJP was trying to divert the people’s attention by playing the emotional card before the assembly election. "They did similar thing in Karnataka. Now they are trying to repeat in Bihar," he said at a press conference on Tuesday.