Ahead of the high-stakes assembly elections in Bihar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah once again invoked the era of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi’s “jungle raj”, recalling the reign of terror allegedly unleashed by the late muscleman-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin.
Addressing a public meeting in Siwan on Friday, Shah said, “After the nomination of candidates in Bihar, the first place I came to meet and speak with is the people of Siwan. Under Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi’s jungle raj, the people of Siwan suffered the terror, atrocities, and murders committed by Shahabuddin. Siwan’s land was drenched in blood, yet the people of Siwan did not bow down.”
“Still, Lalu ji gave a ticket to Shahabuddin’s son Osama from Raghunathpur in Siwan. By giving his son a ticket, they want to intimidate you. But I have come to tell the people of Siwan that now it is the rule of Modi ji and Nitish Kumar ji. Even if a hundred Shahabuddins come, they won’t be able to harm you,” he added.
The BJP leader said Nitish Kumar freed Bihar from Lalu-Rabri’s jungle raj, and that the NDA was contesting this election under Nitish’s leadership. “We are contesting this election under the leadership of Vikas Purush Nitish Kumar. He has worked for 20 years to put Bihar on the path of development, and for the past 10 years, Modi ji has further advanced Bihar’s progress. On 14 November, Lalu Yadav’s son will be completely routed and once again an NDA government will be formed under the leadership of Modi ji and Nitish ji,” Shah said.
In a sharp attack on the Lalu-Rabri regime, Shah alleged that they failed to bring development to Bihar and were instead involved in various scams, including the fodder scam, the land-for-jobs scam, the railway hotel scam, and the BPSC recruitment scam, amassing disproportionate assets. “Lalu ji, apart from looting, kidnapping, ransom, and heinous massacres, what else did you do? Tell us,” he said.
Taking aim at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for leading the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, he said the Congress leader wanted infiltrators to live in Bihar. He urged the people of Siwan to ensure another NDA victory so that “every infiltrator is evicted from the country.”