Lalu Defends Himself on Bhagalpur Riot Issue
Patna: Nov. 25, 2007
A day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar presented his report card on the affairs of the state in the last two years, Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav launched a scathing attack on the NDA government saying the Chief Minister was hand in glove with communal outfits like the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
“Nitish Kumar is telling people that the RJD protected Kameshwar Yadav, the chief accused in the 1989 Bhagalpur riot and honored him with awards at Sonepur Fair. What he is not telling the people is the fact that Kameshwar Yadav was a supporter of the VHP and was fielded against our candidate from Nathnagar Sudha Srivastava by none other than the VHP itself,” Yadav said.
"Just because Kameshwar Yadav has a last name of Yadav does not mean he belonged to the RJD," he said.
The Railway Minister said it was during the RJD rule that charges were filed against Kameshwar Yadav and denied having to do anything with the honors bestowed on him at the Sonepur Fair.
"Nitish Kumar needs to find out and punish those who honored him and needs to stop making false accusation against the RJD. The RJD does not neet a certificate of secularism from the NDA when it was Nitish who not only failed to visit Gujarat during the Godhra riots, he also gave party ticket to Dr. Sunil who instigated riots in Bhagalpur," Yadav said.
The RJD chief further criticized the Chief Minister of failing to bring any development during its two years of reign in Bihar.
"What special work has been done by the Chief Minister? I do not see any. Not a single industry has opened in last two years, people are still migrating to other states in large numbers and he has the audacity to criticize me of 'moving around with a foundation stone' in my hand. Even the Haj building was initiated by me but he moved my name and Rabri Devi's name from the foundation stone and got his own name etched in it," the Railway Minister said.
"This government is a colossal failure which led me to organize the 'Chetawani Rally' against it, he said.
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