The Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav’s “apology” for any “mistakes” during the 15 years of his party’s rule of Bihar failed to impress the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders in Bihar. Ahead of the State Assembly poll — due in October-November later this year — the NDA has set a poll narrative of “15 years of RJD Versus 15 years of NDA”.

On Friday, reacting to Mr. Tejashwi Yadav’s “apology”, ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader and Minister in Nitish Kumar’s Cabinet Neeraj Kumar said: “Seeking apology will not wash off 15 years of RJD’s misrule. He [Tejashwi Yadav] should apologise for the massacres of the poor, Dalits and upper caste people during the RJD regime. He should donate the ill-gotten money amassed by his parents to RJD workers. May be [then] some sin will wash off.”

‘Apology not enough’

JD(U) party leader and Building Construction Minister Ashok Choudhary said: “Merely seeking apology will not do. Tejashwi Yadav should also accept that there was no one competent during 15 years of the RJD’s regime. At least he accepted the fact that there was jungle raj during the 15 years of Lalu-Rabri regime.”

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and party spokesperson Nikhil Anand said, “Fifteen years of RJD regime will never be forgiven by the people of Bihar. People still shudder merely at the mention of the RJD regime. I wonder why no regret has ever been expressed by RJD chief Lalu Prasad himself, who is currently serving his sentence in the infamous fodder scam cases in Ranchi.”

Tejashwi’s speech

Mr. Tejashwi Yadav, who is also Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, was present on Thursday at the party headquarters in Patna when Karishma Rai, granddaughter of former Bihar chief minister Daroga Prasad Rai, joined the party. Later, while addressing a gathering at the event, he sought an “apology from the people” for any “mistake” that may have been committed during the 15 years of the RJD’s rule of the State, headed either by his father and party chief Lalu Prasad or mother Rabri Devi. He also slammed 15 years of the NDA’s rule under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for promises he [the CM] had made on various fronts.

“I was very young when my party [the RJD] was in power and I was not a part of the government but no one can deny that Lalu Prasad has not done social justice…that was an altogether different era,” Mr. Tejashwi said, adding, “Still, if any mistake happened on our part during our 15-year regime, I apologise for that.”

‘What about Nitish Kumar?’

He further said, “But Nitish Kumar is also Chief Minister of the State for the last 15 years…He had said that he would stop migration, provide employment, the condition of farmers will be better, and there will be all-round development in the State. Why did he not fulfil his promises? In Lalu’s regime, there was respect for public representatives, poor people and party workers, and whoever would go to block offices when their work was to be done, but today, even Ministers have no respect.”