Patna: The Jan Vishwas Rally held at Patna’s iconic Gandhi Maidan on Sunday emerged as a significant display of strength for Bihar’s Opposition Mahagathbandhan. This was the first Mahagathbandhan rally where top I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders like RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, top party leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav were present.
The event is seen as a significant move ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Top Left leaders like Sitaram Yechury, D. Raja and Dipankar Bhattacharya were also present on the dais.
Addressing the rally, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of not following Hindu traditions. He said “his failure to shave his head and beard after his mother’s demise suggests that he was not a true Hindu”.
He also took a jibe at the Prime Minister for accusing the Opposition of promoting dynastic politics, saying: “If he doesn’t have any family, then what should we do?”
During his speech, Lalu Prasad Yadav criticised the BJP for allegedly promoting division and hatred in the country. Yadav also said that the state produced many leaders in the country who were instrumental in bringing political changes to the country.
Yadav also highlighted Bihar’s historical significance, noting the state had produced many great leaders and served as a venue for numerous rallies and meetings. He emphasised Bihar’s influence on national opinion, suggesting that decisions made in Bihar often set the tone for the rest of the country.
“This is the same Gandhi Maidan which has witnessed many rallies in the past. This has also created many top leaders whose opinions mattered and later played a role in political changes in the country. Tomorrow the same thing is going to happen,” Lalu Yadav said.
This was the first public appearance of Lalu Prasad Yadav after the change of government in Bihar. Lalu Yadav also used the occasion to directly criticise Nitish Kumar for switching alliances and returning to the NDA fold and termed him “Paltu Ram”.
“There was no reason for him to leave. We didn't do anything wrong, but still he joined hands with the BJP. But now I am calling him a Paltu Ram,” Lalu Yadav said.
Tejashwi Yadav, who wrapped up his statewide Jan Vishwas Yatra at the Gandhi Maidan, described the rally as “record-breaking” and expressed gratitude to the masses for their significant participation.
Speaking at the rally, Yadav mocked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his frequent political shifts. He also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “guarantee” slogans, questioning whether he could guarantee that Nitish Kumar would stay with him in the future.
Mocking Nitish Kumar for repeatedly assuring the Prime Minister at a public meeting in Aurangabad and Begusarai on Saturday, Tejashwi Yadav remarked that “people witnessed Nitish Kumar attempting to assure the Prime Minister that he would not abandon him, but the Prime Minister continued to laugh”.
He said: “I won’t say anything to him (Nitish Kumar) and I wish him well in life. The Prime Minister, who loves to give guarantees for everything, can he guarantee this time that Nitish Kumar would stay with him in future?”
Addressing the crowd, Tejashwi Yadav claimed over ten lakh people were in attendance despite facing inconvenience from the administration. He said “people turned up for the rally despite all difficulties. This would give a strong message to the BJP. It was from this Gandhi Maidan that two lakh appointment letters were distributed”.
Continuing his criticism, Tejashwi Yadav said that Nitish Kumar used to ridicule him for promising 10 lakh jobs to youths. He said Mr Kumar used to question where the money for salaries would come from, asking if it would appear from his father’s pocket.
However, when the Mahagathbandhan government came to power, we ensured that Nitish Kumar distributed the appointment letters.
“Today Nitish Kumar has put up posters everywhere in Patna showing that it was his announcement to provide jobs to youth. But people know the truth”, Tejashwi Yadav said.
During his speech, Tejashwi Yadav urged the masses to support the Mahagathbandhan and stop the BJP from winning the Lok Sabha polls. “The BJP uses all kinds of stunts to win elections. You have seen how Central investigating agencies are being used against us but we are not scared of them”, Tejashwi Yadav added.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, addressing the “Jan Vishwas Rally” in Patna, criticised the Modi government for neglecting 73 per cent of the country’s population, comprising marginalised sections.
In a veiled reference to the BJP, Gandhi said that efforts were being made to sow the seeds of hatred in the country, but the Opposition alliance promotes “Nafrat ke bazaar mein nafrat ki dukan” (spreading love amidst hatred).
He also criticized the Agniveer recruitment scheme, saying that it was against the youths of the country.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who was also present, said he was confident that the “I.N.D.I.A. bloc would win the maximum number of seats in the Lok Sabha elections”. He said the Opposition leaders are not intimidated by Central agencies like the ED and I-T, which he claimed was being misused against them.
Kharge urged the people to “support the INDIA bloc in defeating the BJP for the country’s prosperity and to protect the Constitution”.
