RJD Fires Back After Bihar CM Labels Lalu Prasad ‘Greatest Villain’

Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders on Tuesday criticised Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary for describing party chief Lalu Prasad as the “greatest villain” (sabse bada khalnayak). The remarks were made by Mr. Choudhary at a party function in Patna on June 22.

RJD MP Manoj Jha said, “We uphold modesty of language in public speeches. We don’t even describe villains as villains and here they are describing the greatest hero of this land as the biggest villain. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, though a product of Laluji’s school, could not take his lessons well and is now part of an altogether different school. He has become a Chief Minister without a political mandate after joining the BJP.”

At the function, Mr. Choudhary had mocked Mr. Prasad and his wife, former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, for “sulking over downgrading their security cover”. He said, “The biggest villain, who all are scared of, is now living in fear and it is proof that Bihar now has a good governance.”

State RJD president Mangani Lal Mandal called Mr. Choudhary’s statement “unwarranted and immature”. He said, “People consider Lalu Prasad as a fighter who made inroads into people’s hearts because of his welfare politics.” Mr. Mandal claimed that people from backward classes were “aggrieved” by such a statement. On the downgrading of security, he said there are established rules for bungalow allocation which should not be violated. He alleged that security around the bungalow where two former Chief Ministers, including the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council (Ms. Devi), reside had been downgraded, while the BJP government had beefed up security for people who are not even MLAs or MLCs.

Party leaders, including Mr. Jha, alleged that the BJP-led state government is using rhetoric about security to hide its failure in protecting the poor, women and children, especially those from marginalised sections.

The RJD has sent a committee led by former Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary to Bhojpur to investigate the alleged encounter of a youth from Bilauti village under Shahpur police station on June 17. “The committee has submitted its report to the party leadership stating that the incident was carried out as part of a well-planned conspiracy,” said RJD leaders. The party condemned the incident and demanded punishment for the guilty. Following public outcry, the Bihar government ordered a judicial inquiry into the alleged encounter and suspended some police personnel.

Separately, while campaigning for the by-poll at Bankipur in Patna — the seat fell vacant after five-time BJP MLA Nitin Nabin was elected to the Rajya Sabha — Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor alleged that Mr. Choudhary had been a “murder accused and class seventh fail. What do you expect from such a man to deliver?”