6 weeks bail for Lalu peps up celebrations

The merriment in the house of Lalu Prasad-Rabri Devi increased manifold on Friday when a day after RJD supremo’s release from jail on parole he got six weeks bail by the Jharkhand High Court. The house is reverberating with the wedding songs and shehnai as the couple’s elder son Tej Pratap is getting married to Aishwarya Rai on Saturday.

Lalu arrived here on Thursday evening after grant of three-day parole by the Hotwar jail administration. A big crowd gathered outside the airport as well as the official residence but the RJD boss, known for speaking loudly and cracking jokes even during critical periods remained silent throughout.

During the 40 minutes flight from Ranchi to Patna he uttered only four words to the air hostess: “Tani AC kam kardo” (just minimize AC level). His close confidante Bhola Yadav was sitting next to him but he did not say or ask him anything.

On Friday Baba Ramdev visited Lalu and spent sometime. He will also attend the marriage on Saturday and give him some health tips.

Lalu’s silence has surprised and shocked his supporters with some saying Lalu has been banned to speak during parole by the jail authorities. RJD leader Shivanand Tewari said, “He has been given parole with his hands and legs tied and mouth taped. This is unheard of and this might have been done at the behest of some BJP leaders of Bihar. But by putting such restrictions nobody can silence Lalu rather he will emerge more powerful and such acts will only cause public outcry.”

Meanwhile, the party men have started saying that Lalu’s first ‘bahu’ (daughter-in-law) is going to prove very lucky for the beleaguered family as only two days before the marriage Lalu got parole to bless the newly wed and only a day before the wedding he got bail in three cases. Aishwarya is grand daughter of former CM Daroga Rai and daughter of former minister and RJD leader Chandrika Rai.

Rabri Devi was also heard saying, “Bahu Laksminia hai. Aate hi Sara sankat khatam hojayega.” (My daughter in law is like Lakshmi. All crisis will end with her arrival).

Preparations are afoot at Veterinary College grounds, the venue of the marriage, where cooks and sweet makers from Kanpur have already arrived and started preparing sweet dishes like imriti and malai bundia. All food dishes will be vegetarian only; the cooks said and added that preparations were being made for 10 to 12 thousand guests.

Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi whom was personally invited by the groom Tej Pratap is unlikely to attend the ceremony. Only a few months back Modi’s son was married at the same ground and Lalu had attended it.

But just before the marriage Tej Pratap had bad mouthed and threatened to beat the Deputy CM at the function. Modi said he was flying to Poland from New Delhi on Saturday.