RJD, JD(U), SP and Congress on Sunday came together for Swabhiman Rally in Patna, ahead of 2015 Bihar Assembly elections.
“On Lalu and Nitish’s alliance he said that law and order situation in Bihar has worsened. What is the situation of Gujarat nowadays? Modiji must tell us,” says RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav.
“BJP has betrayed Ganga and Lord Ram. It is Bharat Jalao Party. We don’t need Smart City, but Smart Villages,” says Lalu.
“They consider people of Yadav community fools. When buffalo couldn’t harm us, will Narendra Modi be able to? People told us that they are being pressurised to cancel Lalu Prasad’s bail and send him to jail,” says Lalu.
“You say this is Jungle Raj part 2. No, no, this is mangal raj (the government of the good) part 2,” said Lalu Prasad. “When two backward leaders came together the BJP started panicking… And now they are saying jungleraj,” he added.
Calling the government “anti-farmer” Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, who addressed the rally before Mr. Kumar, said, “It snatches land from farmers to divide it among its handful of rich cronies”. The government has finished one fourth of its time but has done nothing except “showbaazi,” she added.
The two leaders were sharing stage with RJD chief Lalu Prasad at the rally, which was attended by tens of thousands of people.
Billed the “Swabhiman rally” (self-respect rally) the gathering was the first big show of unity against the common enemy – the BJP — after the leaders joined hands last year to defeat the National Democratic Alliance in the coming assembly elections.
From DNA remark, package for Bihar, crime rate in Bihar to rolling back of land ordinance, Lok Sabha promises, Nitish tore into Modi’s claim.
While addressing the rally in Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, Nitish said, “Modi raised question mark over Bihar’s DNA and insulted the state. Nothing is wrong with Bihar’s DNA, the state has glorious history. My DNA emanates from Bihar’s soil. My DNA is the same as that of the people of Bihar.”
In a show of strength, the stage was shared by Janata Dal United leader Nitish, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad, Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav and senior leaders of all the four parties.
The JD(U) and the RJD will contest 100 seats each in the 243-member Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled to end by November. The Congress will contest on 40 seats, the remaining three will be contested by Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party.
Taking on Modi for rolling back land ordinance, Nitish said, “Modi government’s decision to not repromulgate land ordinance is people’s victory. Today Modi did not say his ‘Mann ki Baat’ in radio programme but public’s ‘Dil ki Baat’. ”
While addressing nation in his radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Modi had made it clear that his government will not promulgate land ordinance but include 13 points to reform the land acquisition law to benefit farmers. “We are ready to amend land acquisition act to benefit farmers, who were subjected to misinformation leading to a lot of apprehension in their minds on the law. I have decided that the Land ordinance be allowed to lapse,” Modi said.
