The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance leaders have attacked Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for his statement that Bihar assembly polls is a fight between 'backward versus forward' forces.
Senior BJP leader and union minister Radha Mohan Singh said for Lalu backward means himself and his own. “But for the BJP backward classes mean all. The BJP enjoy support of mandal (the Mandal commission) as well as kamandal (the Hindu ascetics' urn),” Singh said.
BJP ally and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party president Upendra Kushwaha said Lalu is desperate for his political survival in the polls.
“Nitish Kumar is Lalu's mukhauta (mask). In fact, Lalu has been trying hard to play caste card. But people of Bihar are opposing return of Lalu's jungle raj,” Kushwaha said.
At a time when political temperature is slowly picking up in Bihar, Lalu has created another controversy on Sunday when he played a caste card.
“It is a fight between backward versus forward in Bihar polls,” Lalu said while kicked off his party formal election campaign from Raghopur assembly constituency, where his younger son Tejashwi Yadav is contesting as an RJD candidate.
Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said Lalu has again exposed his mindest. “Lalu has nothing to do with development, he has only one agenda-caste,” said Modi, who is seen as main face of chief ministerial candidate if the BJP-led NDA wins the Bihar polls.
The leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly and senior BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav said Lalu is only playing caste card. “Times have changed, now youths from backward classes, particularly Yadav, also require jobs, roads, power, health and other basic facilities.”
Yadav said, "Lalu has no work but to play with emotions of backward people."
BJP ally Hindustani Awami Morcha president and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said, “The Bihar polls are a fight between vikas (development) versus vinash (destruction).”
Lalu, in his first election rally in Raghopur, urged the Dalits and the backward classes to unite to defeat the BJP, which he claimed is keen to end reservation.
“All Dalits and backward classes should unite and vote for the grand alliance of RJD, Janata Dal-United and Congress to defeat the BJP-led NDA,” Lalu said.
Lalu also reiterated that the Bihar assembly polls are a reflection of Mandal versus kamandal.
“Kamandal leaders are telling people that Lalu symbolises a jungle raj (state of lawlessness). It is simple, Lalu had given voice to poor, empowered them politically, socially and economically. If this is jungle raj I have no problem with it,” Lalu had said during the rally.
Lalu also challenged the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP to end reservation for Dalits and OBCs.
