Blowing the poll trumpet in Bihar for year-end assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked the Lalu Yadav-led “jungle raj” regime in Bihar. Modi said “same” people were now making “vulgar” remarks about the ongoing Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj.
Addressing a function in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district, Modi, without naming the party or the former chief minister, also alleged that “the jungle raj wallahs hate our heritage and our faith”.
“The Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj is the greatest celebration of Bharat’s unity. The number of people who have taken a holy dip exceeds the population of Europe. Many people from Bihar have also undertaken the pilgrimage,” the PM said.
“But these jungle raj wallahs are speaking ill about Maha Kumbh and making vulgar remarks. These people were opposed to the Ram temple at Ayodhya, too. I know Bihar will not forgive them,” said Modi.
While demanding the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav over the stampede at New Delhi railway station recently, Prasad questioned the heavy rush, saying “what does Kumbh signify? It is nonsense”.
The PM, who disbursed close to Rs 23,000 crore to nearly 100 million beneficiaries across the country, began his 40 minute speech with a reference to Kumbh and its connection with Bihar.
“It is a matter of pride for me to be here, close to the Mandar mountain, at a time when the Maha Kumbh is underway at Prayagraj,” Modi said.
Situated in the adjoining district of Banka, the ‘Mandar Parvat’ is associated with the mythical churning of the ocean, which had produced the nectar stored in a pot (Kumbh), drops of which fell at Prayagraj, Nashik, Ujjain and Haridwar, places where the congregation is held every 12 years.
Modi also hurled barbs at Prasad, who has been convicted in fodder scam cases, with the repeated remark “those who steal fodder (chara churane wale) can never ensure farmers’ welfare.”
Calling Bihar the “most important pillar of eastern India”, Modi said the state will enjoy the same glory in Viksit Bharat as Pataliputra, the capital of ancient kingdom of Magadh.
“The NDA government works to simultaneously preserve our grand ancient heritage and achieve a prosperous future..... But the jungle raj wallahs hate our heritage (virasat) and our faith (aastha)”, he added.
The Prime Minister also accused the RJD and its ally Congress of having brought “ruin and disrepute to Bihar while sharing power in the state.”
Modi spoke of schemes such as ‘PM Phasal Bima Yojana’, under which Rs 1.75 lakh crore has been paid towards crop insurance, and claimed this was a far cry from the “the previous regimes, which left farmers in distress”.
He also said “a recent spurt in agriculture exports has led to farmers getting better prices for their produce. Now is the time for Bihar’s makhana (foxnuts). It is a super food that I, too, take on most days during the year. This is the reason why we announced setting up of a Makhana Board in the Budget”.
Incidentally, upon reaching the venue of the function, the PM was presented with a garland of “makhanas”, which is believed to bring material and spiritual benefits.
Known for peppering his speeches with local flavour, the Prime Minister began his address in the Angika dialect and making a mention of Vikramshila, an ancient seat of learning close to Bhagalpur, and the Ajgaibinath temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The function was attended by a host of dignitaries, including Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Giriraj Singh and Chirag Paswan.
