Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday asserted that he had the vision, a “special mission” and an “undying passion” for building a new Bihar, charging the ruling BJP-led NDA with running an “outdated government”.
The former deputy CM, who is now the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, gave a fiery speech on the floor of the House, participating in a debate on the budget presented earlier this month.
“I am confident that in 2025 Bihar will make use of it being the state with the (highest number of) young population in the country,” said Yadav, adding: “My detractors try to dismiss me as a bachcha (kid), but people know I am man ka sachcha (truthful)”.
“Bihar needs to get rid of this outdated government. I have the vision, a special vision and an undying passion for building a new Bihar,” said the young leader, who is likely to spearhead the Mahagathbandhan, which had snapped at the heels of the NDA in the 2020 assembly polls.
In his nearly 40-minute-long speech, Yadav called into question the Nitish Kumar government’s claim of unprecedented growth and, citing figures, claimed that these people are blowing their own trumpet over the size of the budget increasing nine times since 2005.
“This is just equivalent to what was achieved in the 15 years our party was in power. The budget size rose to Rs 27,000 crore in 2005 from only Rs 3,000 crore in 1990,” said Yadav, highlighting the period from the ascension of his father Lalu Prasad, the RJD president, who was succeeded by his mother Rabri Devi, till the party was defeated by the JD(U)-BJP alliance.
“In comparison, the budget has risen from Rs 27,000 crore to Rs 2.78 lakh crore under NDA,” said the RJD leader, who also pointed out that the state was now “debt-ridden, paying Rs 56 crore every day towards interest” and despite claims of double engine government, receiving a “stepmotherly” treatment from the Centre.
He also charged the BJP-led NDA with intensifying conflicts on caste and religious lines and claimed that as per the NCRB data, Bihar stood second in terms of the incidence of communal riots, next only to Maharashtra, another BJP-ruled state.
Yadav challenged the BJP to “fulfil the dreams of late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, of having the party’s own CM in Bihar”, by contesting the forthcoming elections alone, without allying with the JD(U) headed by Nitish Kumar.
Turning towards the treasury benches, where Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, both from the BJP, were seated together, the RJD leader said, “Nitish Kumar likes to always remind me that he had made me his deputy. Who do both of you owe your position? To Nitish Kumar or to Prime Minister Narendra Modi?” Yadav also made a few sarcastic remarks about the chief minister, who was not present inside the House while he was holding forth, saying: “Nitish Kumar says the Earth will come to an end in 10 years if we do not give up using mobile phones. But Samrat Choudhary, his own deputy, used an iPad while presenting the budget”.
Referring to the controversy that arose out of Kumar’s behaviour at a function last week, the RJD leader alleged: “The chief minister insults the national anthem. But the BJP is silent since its share in power is at stake. The party has hijacked the chief minister”.
He also called into question the BJP’s claim of respecting Indian culture, alleging that Samrat Choudhary had spoken derisively of ‘launda nach’, a dance form by young boys RJD leaders were known to enjoy.
“It is a part of our tradition. It owes its origin to Bhikhari Thakur, the Shakespeare of Bhojpuri, who has been insulted,” Yadav said.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
