Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched the second leg of his campaign for Bihar Assembly elections and attacked the main Opposition’ Rashtriya Janata Dal’ (RJD) for presiding over a “”jungle Raj” during its 15-year-long rule. The PM referred to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as the “yuvraj of the jungle” raj and warned people not to elect a party whose very name would drive away investors.
The Prime Minister claimed that development has speeded up in the state under the Nitish Kumar government’s rule and also mentioned central government direct sending of about one lakh crore to farmer’s bank account under Direct to Bank scheme.
Modi, who addressed public rallies at Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur and Patna also pointed to the voters that his government fulfilled the promise of the construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya by laying its foundation. He was joined in the public meetings by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Promising that the NDA rule would make Bihar a “self-reliant” and “developed state”, Modi urged the people to defeat the opposition which, he said had launched the state in a “jungle raj” and embezzled funds meant for development schemes. In a jibe at the ‘Mahagadhbandan’ leader Tejjaswi Yadav who is the son of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, Modi said those who witnessed the old times know well that nothing much can be expected from “jungle raj ke yuvaraj” and there is a need to defeat such forces along with coronavirus pandemic in the state.
He alleged that the RJD has a “copyright over kidnappings” in the state and the voters to view the assembly elections as “an opportunity to re-elect those who pulled Bihar out of darkness”.
“It is a party which patronised criminals and ensured the riches of one family grew,” he remarked, making a reference to the corruption scandals involving Prasad and his family members. Invoking the imagery of Goddess Sita and her father Janaka, the king of Mithila of which this north Bihar town became the capital later on, Modi said those who used to taunt the BJP over the delay in construction of Ram temple were now forced to applause.
“I am happy to be here, in the birth place of Mother Sita. Construction of temple at Ayodhya has also begun. Those siyasi log (political opponents) who used to taunt us with the question what is the date (for commencement of construction), have now been forced to clap in applause,” Modi said .
The prime minister, who shared the stage with the Chief Minister , heaped praise on the latter, calling him the “bhaavi mukhyamantri” (prospective CM) and credited him with Bihar’s economic turnaround.
“The people of Bihar have made up their mind to inflict yet another defeat on those responsible for the ‘jungle raj’ where crime graph had soared to an extent that living a normal life became difficult for the common people, our mothers and sisters,” Modi said in an obvious attack on the RJD-Congress combine, without mentioning either by name.
“They committed financial irregularities in the name of waiving farm loans. They took bribes to give jobs. The NDA stands for development. Beware of those who are greedily eyeing the funds earmarked for progress,” said Modi. He said those who were in power before the NDA government was formed were so obsessed with their “commission” that they never cared about connectivity for regions like Mithila.
