Tejashwi's 'Bihar ka Nayak' posters spark fresh political row; BJP calls Lalu family 'villain' of state

Patna, Oct 25 (IANS) A fresh political storm erupted in Bihar on Saturday after posters calling Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav "Bihar ka Nayak (Hero of Bihar)" appeared across Patna ahead of the Assembly elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp counterattack, accusing Tejashwi and his family of being involved in multiple scams and corruption cases.

The posters were installed just two days after Tejashwi Yadav was officially declared as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the Mahagathbandhan for the upcoming state elections.

Reacting to the campaign, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary took a jibe at Yadav's family legacy.

"Jiska parivar khalnayak ho, vo kaise nayak ban sakta hai? (How can someone whose family is full of villains be a hero?)" he asked.

"Lalu Prasad Yadav is Bihar's Gabbar Singh, who is an accused in numerous cases for looting the state. When Lalu was in power, he looted the fodder of animals, and when he became the Railways Minister, he committed the land-for-job scam. Tejashwi should tell the secret of becoming a crorepati in just one-and-a-half years -- everyone wants to know," he further said.

Bihar BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal also hit out at the RJD, saying the Opposition was resorting to publicity gimmicks because it had no real issues to raise.

Taking a dig with a reference to a popular Hindi song, Jaiswal told IANS, "Nayak nahi, khalnayak hai ye (He is a villain, not a hero)". Today, he has dropped 'Jan' and kept only 'Nayak', but soon he will add 'Khal' before it, and then I'll sing that song for you. The Opposition has no real issue to fight for, so they are trying to create an illusion."

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Bhim Singh Chandravanshi also ridiculed the RJD's poster campaign, saying, "If he wants to blow his own trumpet, who can stop him? It's his choice, his money, and his posters. But how can the son of a villain be called a hero? The people of Bihar once trusted his father, Lalu Yadav, but everyone knows how he looted the state and pushed it backwards. The people will not be deceived again."

BJP national spokesperson Ajay Alok also questioned the audacity of portraying Tejashwi Yadav as the state's hero.

Speaking to IANS, Alok said, "The days of Bihar have not fallen so low. This is the land of Jai Prakash Narayan, who led a revolution that even unseated Indira Gandhi, and of Karpoori Thakur, who transformed Bihar and championed social justice. And now, from this sacred land, the son of a corrupt family, who hasn't even passed Class 9, and who has done nothing for Bihar's progress, is being called 'Bihar ka Nayak'? These people should be ashamed."

--IANS

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