Lalu Prasad's daughter was targeting PM Modi, not Nitish Kumar: RJD
Patna, Jan 25: The RJD on Thursday claimed that Rohini Acharya's controversial social media posts, which were later deleted by the daughter of party supremo Lalu Prasad, were aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.
RJD spokesman Shakti Yadav made a statement to this effect outside 10, Circular Road, the government bungalow allotted to Acharya's mother Rabri Devi, a former CM herself, where Prasad also lives.
"Comments made in another context are withdrawn when vested interests use these for political purposes," said Yadav, when journalists asked him about the deleted posts on X, in which Acharya, who is based in Singapore, had mentioned no leader by name.
Screenshots of the deleted posts, in Hindi, have gone viral on social media. One of these spoke of "those, who are ideologically adrift, claim to be the champions of socialism".
Screengrab of Lalu Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya's tweets. | PC: @ROHINIACHARYA2/X
This was construed as an indirect attack on the Bihar CM, the RJD's ally, who had decried "dynasty politics" a day ago.
BJP leader Nikhil Anand also came out with a statement demanding an apology from Acharya for insulting the CM, who was a saffron party ally till less than two years ago.
However, the RJD spokesperson insisted that Acharya wanted to target "those who pretend to be champions of the poor, but go back on promises of two crore jobs a year and hoodwink the people with claims like those affording only 'hawai chappals' travelling by planes".
Despite making obvious references to Modi's electoral promise in 2014 and a speech during the launch of the UDAN scheme, the RJD spokesperson refrained from mentioning the PM by name.
He, however, asserted that the Nitish Kumar government, in which the RJD supremo's son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav is the Deputy CM, "will last its full term and the Lok Sabha election results will be a step in the direction of wiping out the BJP in Bihar".
Yadav also accused "BJP and media houses sympathetic to it" of making "hypothetical" predictions about the imminent fall of the government and Kumar's return to the BJP-led NDA, which the JD(U) supremo had quit less than two years ago.
"You ask why a meeting of RJD workers was called by the party supremo. This was no meeting. We come to see our party president every day," said Yadav, dismissing speculations in a section of the press that Prasad has asked rank and file to gear up for an upheaval.
He also scoffed at suggestions that state BJP president Samrat Choudhary and JD(U) political advisor KC Tyagi leaving for Delhi by the same flight was a matter of intrigue.
"So many times do leaders of different parties end up on the same flight. Seldom does this have a political consequence," said the RJD leader.
Meanwhile, rumours were also abound over a number of JD(U) ministers calling on the CM at his official residence.
Emerging from the CM's residence, minister for parliamentary affairs Vijay Kumar Chaudhary told reporters, "I am going to Nalanda (the CM's home district) tomorrow as the minister in charge for taking part in Republic Day celebrations. This should make it amply clear that no crisis has befallen the government."
He also dismissed the speculations around the Bihar BJP chief's Delhi visit, in the backdrop of rumours that the party was softening its stance towards Nitish Kumar.
"In any party, office bearers do meet the high command. What is extraordinary about it," asked the JD(U) leader.
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Pro-Israel posters pasted, black ink thrown outside Owaisi's residence in Delhi
A group of five men pasted posters outside the residence of AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi in New Delhi on Thursday evening, demanding his suspension from the Lok Sabha, officials said.
According to a police officer, four-five men reached Mr. Owaisi's 34 Ashoka Road residence located in Central Delhi and pasted three posters at the entry gate and wall of the house about 9 p.m.
The lines like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', 'I stand with Israel' and 'Owaisi should be suspended' were written on the posters.
A purported video of the incident surfaced online in which one of the miscreants said that youth of the country should be united against the politician, who does not say "bharat mata ki jai".
The Delhi Police however, reached the spot and removed the posters. By then, the men had gone away, an officer said.
A police officer said they are trying to identify the people and legal action will be taken against them.
Mr. Owaisi saying “Jai Palestine” while taking oath as a member of the Lok Sabha had sparked a row among the other MPs.
"Some 'unknown miscreants' vandalised my house with black ink today. I have now lost count the number of times my Delhi residence has targeted. When I asked @DelhiPolice officials how this was happening right under their nose, they expressed helplessness," Owaisi wrote on X.
Tagging Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Owaisi wrote, "this is happening under your oversight. please tell us if MPs' safety will be guaranteed or not".
"To the two-bit goons who keep targeting my house: this does not scare me. Stop this Savarkar-type cowardly behaviour and be men enough to face me. Do not scurry away after throwing some ink or pelting a few stones," he wrote further.
Some “unknown miscreants” vandalised my house with black ink today. I have now lost count the number of times my Delhi residence has targeted. When I asked @DelhiPolice officials how this was happening right under their nose, they expressed helplessness. @AmitShah this is… pic.twitter.com/LmOuXu6W63
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) June 27, 2024
