RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday taunted Prime Minister Narender Modi by saying that earlier people used to fear the lion but now they fear the cow thanks to cow vigilantism across the country.
"'Pahle log sher se darte the, ab gai se darte hain. Yeh sab Modi sarkar ki den hai," Lalu Prasad said at a meeting of his Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) here.
He said that due to growing fear of being seen with cows and cattle, the Sonepur cattle fair in Bihar's Saran district, considered Asia largest cattle fair, had turned into a fair without cattle.
He said people were angry with the Modi government in view of its "total failure" in the last three-and-half-a-years to meet any of promises made during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
People were also upset by demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax, he added.
"Modi may go for Lok Sabha polls in 2018, ahead of its scheduled time in 2019," Lalu Prasad said, and asked his party activists to be ready to face early parliamentary polls.
He said whenever the Lok Sabha election will be held, opposition parties would defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Lalu Prasad said that his son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav was in touch with Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel.
"Young leaders like Hardik Patel and Tejashwi will uproot the communal forces from the country."
Lalu Prasad told the media to "expose" the BJP and Modi instead of merely targeting the opposition.
"In America and other developed countries, the media has been exposing and targeting the powerful ruling parties and their leaders.
"In India the media is fighting against the opposition. This should change."