RJD president Lalu Prasad on Monday alleged that the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar joined the BJP-led government in Maharashtra at a time when opposition leaders came together to fight the assault on democracy.
In a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prasad accused him of committing a "dacoity" in the western state.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of a book on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, an arch-rival with whom he has now joined hands.
"This function is taking place at a time when Nitish, I and various leaders have come together to combat assaults on democracy by the dispensation headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.
"Modi has been committing dacoities across the nation, as you have seen in Maharashtra from where the country's most senior leader had come to attend our opposition meet," said the RJD supremo.
Prasad expressed hope that the upheaval will have no impact on the standing of the NCP's founding president Sharad Pawar, who seems to have been left high and dry with close aides like Praful Patel also joining the rebel camp led by his nephew.
“Sharad Pawar is a national leader. Narendra Modi has tried to make a dent in his standing. But he will come out unscathed,” said Prasad, who had been the NCP chief's cabinet colleague in the Manmohan Singh-led government at the Centre.
In his speech at the function, where Prasad spoke for less than 20 minutes, he began on a blistering note alleging “assaults on the constitution” and “dacoities being carried out across the country by Prime Minister Narendra Modi”.
He also scoffed at speculations of a similar development rattling the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar, which leaders of BJP-led NDA have been boasting of since Sunday's development.
“You have seen what has happened in Maharashtra, from where the country's senior-most leader had come to lend his support to our opposition unity initiative”, said Prasad, referring to the June 23 meeting hosted by Nitish Kumar which was attended, among others, by Pawar, Patel and the NCP chief's daughter Supriya Sule.
“Legislators are being poached”, alleged the RJD supremo adding “After what has happened in Maharashtra, I get to hear that similar attempts are being mooted in Bihar”.
“Let those harbouring such fancies remember, this is Bihar. Here we know how to smear a flying bird with turmeric (udti chidiya ko haldi lagana),” said the charismatic leader who often uses the Bihari idiom to underscore the political consciousness of the state's people.
Prasad also questioned Modi's anti-corruption pitch, raking up the allegations against the Adani group, and asked: "Who can be more corrupt than this regime?”
Prasad, who spent quite a long time behind bars following sentences awarded in fodder scam cases, also rued communal tensions which he called “attempts to pit the followers of Ram and Rahim against each other”.
Squarely blaming the BJP for the scenario, he also alleged there were no attempts to uplift the poor and “conspiracies are underway to do away with reservations”.
The RJD supremo, whose party is enjoying power, with his son Tejashwi Yadav as the Deputy CM, following his tie-up with Nitish Kumar, fondly recalled the JD(U) leader's support when they were together in the undivided Janata Dal.
“I became the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar assembly after the death of Karpoori Thakur despite some of my seniors being in the race. I owe it, in great measure, to Nitish Kumar.
“Our careers took off at almost the same time. I became the Chief Minister of Bihar and he became a Union minister. Together we fought for implementation of Mandal Commission and protecting the minorities,” said Prasad.
