Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday issued a veiled threat to RJD leaders, asserting that they would be sent to jail soon and raising apprehensions of action by central agencies after the elections.
“I am giving one more guarantee to the people of Bihar today. Those who have looted the poor of Bihar and taken land for jobs should listen to this clearly. The countdown for their jail visit has started. The NDA government will not spare those who have robbed Bihar. This is the guarantee of the NDA and also of Modi,” Modi said during a rally at Dehri-on-Sone without naming anyone.
He followed it up by saying at another rally in Buxar that the “Shahzada (Prince) of Bihar will now relax and see the work related to zamanat (bail)”.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his family are facing charges in the alleged land-for-jobs scam in the railways, which allegedly occurred during Lalu’s tenure as the railway minister during the then UPA government. The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have registered cases and are investigating the matter.
Several RJD leaders slammed Modi for making such a threatening statement and appealed to the Election Commission (EC) to take action against him for violating model code of conduct.
“The Prime Minister is now resorting to issuing threats to his political opponents. This shows that he has lost his balance because the BJP’s defeat in the Lok Sabha polls is looming large. His words portray his worry, tension and stress. The EC should take cognisance of the statement and take action against Modi,” RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan said.
Starting the campaign for the final phase of the elections with back-to-back rallies at Bikram (Patliputra), Dehri-on-Sone (Karakat) and Buxar, the Prime Minister accused the INDIA bloc of performing “mujra” for the Muslim vote bank.
Modi criticised the “INDI Alliance” for allegedly trying to scuttle the existing reservation system by proposing quotas based on religious lines in the country, and termed it “vote jihad”. He also alleged that it was trying to block the welfare schemes in the country.
“I have exposed the conspiracy of these parties during this poll. Their anti-reservation actions are coming to the fore one by one. The Congress changed the law related to the minority institutions overnight to appease its vote bank. It led to thousands of institutions being declared as ‘minority institutions’. The SC, ST, OBC used to get full reservation for admission in these institutions, but now they do not get even one per cent quota in them,” Modi said at the rally in Bikram.
Asserting that the Constitution and the thoughts of Ambedkar were foremost for him, Modi said: “If the INDI Alliance wants to do the slavery of the vote bank, if it wants to go there to do mujra, it should go there and do so. I am standing strongly with the SC, ST, OBC and EBC.”
Mujra is a dance form that originated during the Mughal period. Women courtesans used to perform it to entertain rich men, or during celebrations.
Asking the people to vote for the BJP candidate and incumbent MP from the Patliputra constituency, Ram Kripal Yadav, who is pitted against RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s eldest daughter and Rajya Sabha member Misa Bharti, Modi told the audience that the lantern (RJD election symbol) can only spread darkness in the age of LED bulbs.
Modi said the country needed a strong Prime Minister, while the plan of the Opposition was to provide five Prime Ministers in five years.
Addressing the second rally at Dehri-on-Sone under Karakat Lok Sabha constituency, Modi canvassed for ally and Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha who is pitted against CPIML’s Raja Ram Singh and Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh contesting as an Independent. He also sought votes for BJP candidates Shivesh Ram and Union minister R.K. Singh, who are contesting from Sasaram and Bhojpur Lok Sabha seats.
