Lalu mocks at ‘demonic’ demonetization, cautions against Modi-Nitish alliance

RJD chief Lalu Prasad, here on Wednesday, described as a ‘demonic act’, prime minister Narendra Modi’s decision on this data year ago to de-monetize high value currency notes with the stated objective of flushing out black money.

Describing the impact of demonetization on the Indian economy as devastating, the RJD chief called upon the people to send the BJP-led NDA government at the centre into political exile forever.

Yadav was addressing a gathering at the Subhai High school maidan here, about 30 km north of state capital, Patna. This was the ground at which he had shaken hands with JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar in 2015 that led to the formation of the ‘grand alliance’ (GA) government in November that year.

The GA government fell in July this year when Kumar resigned following the RJD leadership reluctance to offer corruption charges. He subsequently formed a new government with the BJP as its partner and then joined the NDA.

“The RJD has always opposed demonetisation but Nitish Kumar has supported it. A CBI inquiry has been instituted against a son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, but the son of (BJP president) Amit Shah got clean chit in another matter”, Lalu said.

He accused Nitish Kumar betraying the p[people of the state who had given the RJD-JD (U)-Congress GA a mandate to rule for five years..

Prasad said like demonetization, probation had failed in Bihar. He accused CM Kumar of sending 40,000 pasi (toddy tappers) to jail. “But when I protested, Kumar had to reconsider the ban on toddy. I will never allow anti-people policies of any government”, he said.

The RJD chief said the ban on sand trade in Bihar was meant cause hardship to downtrodden who eke out their livelihood by loading and unloading sand.

Prasad lashed out at the NDA governments at the centre and in Bihar, describing their policies as “anti-poor, anti-development and anti-prosperity”.

He declared that if his party came to power in the state, he would facilitate recruitment of even little educated youths in the police.

“The contract teachers of the state deserve salary equal to regular salary teachers (as ruled by the Patna hight court recently) but the state government has moved the supreme court against the decision of HC”, the RJD chief said.

Prasad said CM Kumar’s ‘autocratic’ style of governance won’t work. He announced his party would soon hold a ‘parivartan rally” in Bihar. He cautioned the people to beware of both PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar “as they have come together to take people for a ride”.