Lalu takes to Twitter to greet people on Chhath

Away from home, jailed RJD president Lalu Prasad on Tuesday took to Twitter on Tuesday to greet people on the occasion of Chhath, inarguably the most popular festival of Bihar.

The former Bihar chief minister, who is serving sentences in a number of fodder scam cases, is currently undergoing treatment at a Ranchi hospital.

He has, however, been sharing his thoughts and feelings on a number of issues on his official Twitter handle, which is managed by his close aides.

"Countless people have, while greeting me on the occasion of Chhath, credited me with having brought international recognition to this festival. I have only this to say to my well-wishers - this is all by virtue of you all. May Chhath Maiya bring peace and prosperity and fulfill all your wishes," the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief tweeted.

Prasad's wife Rabri Devi - a former chief minister herself - has been known to celebrate Chhath with gusto, observing all elaborate rituals associated with the festival, which involves rigours like a 36-hour-fast and offering prayers to the Sun while standing knee-deep in water.

His family, rattled by the decision of his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav seeking a divorce from his wife Aishwarya Rai barely six months into their marriage, has decided not to celebrate the festival this year.

However, making the announcement last week, RJD leader and Prasad's close aide Bhola Yadav had insisted that Rabri Devi was not keeping well and the decision had nothing to do with her son's marital discord.

In another tweet, Prasad raved about the rich repertoire of folk songs associated with Chhath and underscored that the festival was also about celebrating "dignity of woman, equality, social harmony and the conservation of eco-system and bio-diversity".

Earlier,too, the RJD supremo had spoken about the "uniqueness" of Chhath on the microblogging site.

"All items of use are such that they could be afforded by people irrespective of their economic status. The festival has remained unsullied by the vulgar display of modernity.

"All offerings made to the Sun God are bio-degradable," he tweeted.