Leaders not in sync with PM Modi being harassed : Lalu

Sachchidanand Jha

Patna: How far RJD chief Lalu Prasad succeeds in his bid to unite the entire opposition and oust the BJP led NDA in 2019 Lok Sabha (LS) polls remains to be seen but the sizeof the crowd at his  `BJP Bhagao Desh Bachao’ rally at Patna Gandhi Maidan on August 27, 2017, was definitely impressive. That apart, Lalu also gave a jolt to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar by roping in two senior JD(U) leaders : Sharad Yadav, a former JD(U) president, and Ali Anwar, a Rajya Sabha member serving his second term, to the rally.

Lalu said that the country is witnessing an emergency like situation today. He said that those not in sync with PM Narendra Modi were being harassed and framed in false cases. Lalu blamed Nitish for the death of a large number of the people in the flood.

With AICC president Sonia Gandhi and Vice-president Rahul Gandhi and BSP supremo Mayawti skipping the rally, the other opposition leaders including West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav, senior Congress leader and Leader of  Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, NCP leader Tariq Anwar and former Jharkhand CM and JMM leader Hemant Soren and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha chief Babulal Marandi could hardly enthuse the crowd with their barbs against PM Narendra Modi.

Sonia, in an audio message sent for the occasion, said that the NDA government had not only insulted the mandate given to the Grand Alliance in Bihar but had also insulted the whole country. She said that the NDA government did so to divert the people’s attention from its misdeeds. Rahul Gandhi, who is in Norway, also sent his message for the occasion. Rahul said that the Patna rally will expose the designs of the ruling party. Sharad Yadav said that all the opposition parties will form a Gathbandhan to defeat the BJP in 2019 LS polls.

The rally comes in the backdrop of corruption cases against Lalu and some of his family members including his younger son and former Deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav and former CM Rabri Devi and Nitish forming government with the help of the BJP. The rally was held even as 19 district of Bihar are reeling under flood, which has already claimed more that 400 human lives.