Prime Minister Narendra Modi stirred the pot of Bihar’s political discourse during his rally in Bihar on Wednesday, retaliating against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad’s recent jabs questioning his family background and Hindu credentials.

“Migration of youths has posed a significant challenge for Bihar since Independence, but it exacerbated during the era of ‘jungle raj’. Those who fostered this chaos
prioritised their own interests and family, jeopardising the futures of countless
children in the state,” Modi said, without directly naming anyone, during the rally held in Bettiah, West Champaran district.

“Youths from Bihar continued to flock to other states in search of livelihoods while one family thrived here. The rampant land grabbing for personal gain... Can anyone pardon those who plundered the common people in such a manner? The family responsible for ‘jungle raj’ bears the greatest guilt towards the state’s youth, snatching away their destinies,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister’s address marked his third rally in the state within five days as part of the Lok Sabha election campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar was absent from the rally, scheduled to depart for Delhi en route to Britain.

Modi had previously condemned dynastic politics during rallies in Aurangabad and Begusarai on Saturday, targeting Lalu.

Lalu, in turn, speaking at the Jan Vishwas Maharally in Patna on Sunday, had questioned Modi’s family status and Hindu credentials, igniting a furore within the NDA camp. Several BJP leaders changed their social media bio-data to assert their allegiance to Modi’s “family”.

The Prime Minister’s anticipated rebuke of Lalu at the Bettiah rally materialised. However, he refrained from addressing the issue of not shaving his head after his mother’s demise.

Seizing the opportunity to critique the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), dubbed INDI Alliance by BJP leaders, Modi contended that it remained stuck in the 20th century, clinging to the flame of the lantern (RJD symbol), under which only one family prospered in Bihar.

“The primary concern of the INDI Alliance is that Modi has no family. They seek a licence to exploit people. They would have questioned Karpoori Thakur, Mahatma Gandhi, Ram Manohar Lohia and Ambedkar had they been alive because they too did not promote their families, dedicating themselves to the country and its families,” Modi said.

He asserted that the Opposition alliance, aware of its bleak prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, resorted to targeting Lord Ram.

Modi highlighted his humble origins, stating that he left home in childhood and considered the entire country and its people as his family.

The Prime Minister inaugurated projects worth Rs 13,000 crore during the occasion, including the foundation laying of a six-lane “extradosed cable bridge” on the Ganga between Patna and Sonepur.

“The NDA government has rescued Bihar and propelled it forward. Our aim is to provide jobs to the state’s youth. This is the underlying purpose of the projects for which we laid the foundation stones today. These bridges, roads, and trains are pathways to development. They attract industries,” Modi said.