Lalu, Rabri's villages in shock, disbelief

Hundreds of people in Lalu Prasad's native village and his wife Rabri Devi's village in Bihar's Gopalganj district were shocked after the RJD leader was jailed for five years in a fodder scam case Thursday.

Villagers in Lalu Prasad's village Phulwaria and Rabri Devi's village Salarkela were not ready to accept the news that the former railway minister was been jailed.

"It was unexpected for us. Many of us have decided not to cook food and eat anything tonight (Thursday) to express solidarity with Lalu Prasad after he was jailed," Phulwaria resident Madan Rai, who belongs to the RJD leader's caste, said.

Another villager, Ramesh Yadav, said villagers were discussing life without Lalu Prasad. "Now, our hope lies with high court for relief to Laluji," he said.

Villagers are proud of Lalu Prasd as he gave them concrete roads, electricity, post office, bank, hospital, school and even railway station. "Thanks to Laluji, our village has become a modern one," Sanoj Rai, another villager, said.

Rai recalled that Laluji gave us everything, including name and fame. "Over past few days, villagers organised special prayers for divine blessings but nothing worked," he said.

"We are with Laluji in this time of crisis," Ramesh Yadav said.

Lalu Prasad's own house in the village has turned into a centre where villagers are expressing their views since last Monday (Sep 30) when the court convicted him.

In Salarkela, four km from Phulwaria, villagers are unable to comprehend what has befallen them. "The verdict has dampened us. For us, our village son in-law Lalu is innocent," Kedar Yadav said.

Lalu Prasad, as the railway minister, connected his own village with that of his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi with a railway link in 2008.