Launching a frontal attack on the BJP-led NDA government over the issue of the caste census, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad on Tuesday declared that the opposition will put pressure on the government so intensely that it will be compelled to conduct the census. His comment came a day after the RSS said it would support caste census only if the data collected were used for the welfare of the underprivileged and not for political reasons. "We will hold RSS, BJP by the ear, make them do sit-ups and get the caste census done. What authority do they have that they will not conduct a caste census? We will force them so much that they will have to do it. The time has come for the Dalits, backward, tribals and poor to show unity," Lalu Prasad posted on X in Hindi. He wrote that after he returned to Patna after a routine check-up in Singapore. Prasad's kidney transplant operation was successfully done in Singapore in December 2022. The RJD organised a statewide one-day sit-in on Sunday, September
RJD president Lalu Prasad on Friday claimed that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre was "weak" and could "fall" as early as within a month. The remark was promptly dismissed by the BJP, which said the ailing septuagenarian was "hallucinating" and that the recent general elections were a reaffirmation of the people's faith in Modi's leadership. Prasad made these predictions at an event organised to commemorate 28 years of the formation of his party, which he founded by splitting the Janata Dal. Prasad, who spoke in a weak voice for less than 10 minutes, with younger son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav by his side, said "the Modi government is weak (kamzor). It can fall any time. It can fall in August". He urged party workers to be prepared for such a scenario. He highlighted that in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the RJD had increased its seat count and vote share compared to five years ago. "For quite some time, we have been the single largest party in the Bihar assembly
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked his supporters to remove the 'Modi Ka Parivar' suffix from their social media handles, after the elections victory for the NDA had communicated the intended message
The CBI filed its final charge sheet on Friday in connection with land for jobs scam allegedly involving former railway minister Lalu Prasad and his family members, the officials said. The final report submitted by the CBI in the special court covers all the railway zones where the recruitment was made in return for lands allegedly taken by members of Lalu Prasad's family, they said. The agency has also listed as accused Lalu Prasad's wife Rabri Devi, son Tej Pratap Yadav, daughter Hema Yadav, former aide Bhola Yadav and others in the charge sheet, they said. The special court will consider the report on July 6, they said. "During investigation, it has been found that the accused in conspiracy with the Railways officials and engaged persons as 'substitutes' in lieu of land either in their name or in the name of their close relatives. This land was acquired at prices lower than the prevailing circle rate and much lower than the market rate," an official said.
The BJP on Saturday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging RJD president Lalu Prasad violated the model code of conduct while casting his vote in Patna. In the complaint, signed by several office bearers of the state BJP, including legal cell head SD Sanjay, it was alleged that Prasad entered the booth with a "gamcha" around his neck, on which the RJD's poll symbol, the lantern, was printed. "It appeared Prasad was trying to influence voters inside the polling station. This is clearly a violation of Representation of People Act and Model Code of Conduct," said the complaint. "It is, therefore, requested that a case be registered against the RJD president, who is also a former Chief Minister of Bihar," it added.
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RJD supremo Lalu Prasad on Tuesday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reported "God sent" remark and claimed that INDIA bloc will form government at the Centre after June 4. The results of the Lok Sabha elections will be announced on June 4. Talking to reporters here, Lalu said, "Modi calls him 'avtar' (messenger of god). He (Modi) says he is not biological but a messenger of God. We will know the results soon. PM Modi is gone now. We (INDIA bloc) will form the government on June 4." Lalu's remarks come in the wake of PM Modi's interview with a news channel recently in which he reportedly said that he was not biological but sent by god. Earlier in the day, the RJD supremo accused the NDA of intending to change the constitution and end reservations if it returns to power for a third term. In a post on X on Tuesday, Lalu wrote, "The BJP and its leaders, who have been despising our Constitution maker, Baba Saheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, are talking about abolishing the ...
INDIA bloc rally in Bihar: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi momentarily loses his balance as the stage almost collapsed during a rally in Bihar's Paliganj
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday vowed to thwart alleged attempts to rob Dalits and backward classes of reservations by the INDIA bloc which he accused of enslavement and performing mujra for Muslim vote bank. The PM launched the blistering attack at a rally here in the Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency, about 40 kms from Patna, where he also blamed parties like RJD and Congress for SCs, STs and OBCs "being deprived of quotas" in minority institutions. Bihar is the land which has given a new direction to the fight for social justice. I wish to declare on its soil that I will foil the plans of INDIA bloc to rob SCs, STs and OBCs of their rights and divert these to Muslims. They may remain enslaved and perform 'mujra' to please their vote bank, said the PM. He also alleged that the opposition alliance was banking on the support of those who were indulging in vote jihad and referred to the Calcutta High Court order, striking down the West Bengal government's decision to includ
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The RJD, the largest constituent of Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, on Saturday released its election manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls, promising 1 crore government jobs and Rs 1 lakh per year to "sisters" from poor families on Raksha Bandhan. Former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, while releasing the RJD's election manifesto 'Parivartan Patra', said the party is making 24 "jan vachan" (public promises) for the 2024 polls, and it will fulfill these commitments. "If the INDIA bloc comes to power at the Centre, the RJD will ensure that unemployed youth across the country get 1 crore government jobs... the process will start on Independence Day this year... it will be like 'berozgaari se azadi' (freedom from unemployment)," he told reporters. "Unemployment is our biggest enemy but the BJP leaders never talk about it. They had promised 2 crore jobs... but we deliver on our promises," he said. "On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan this year, we will start providing Rs 1 lakh annually to o
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Tuesday formally announced its candidates for all but one of the 23 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar where the party is contesting as a constituent of the opposition Mahagathbandhan. Party president Lalu Prasad's daughters - Rohini Acharya and Misa Bharti - are among the RJD nominees. According to a release issued by RJD state president Jagdanand Singh late in the evening, Acharya will contest from Saran which her father had won many times. Prasad represented the seat until his disqualification in 2013 when he was convicted in a fodder scam. Bharti, his eldest daughter who is enjoying her second term in the Rajya Sabha, will try her luck in the Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency. A party functionary said that a candidate is yet to be announced for Siwan where the RJD had for years been fielding late Mohd Shahubuddin. After Shahubuddin's disqualification, his widow Heena could never win the seat. It has been understood that Heena has a strained relationshi
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday compared Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife to former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, and said she is perhaps preparing to hold the post of her husband. "The madam your are naming is perhaps preparing to hold the post like Rabri Devi did in Bihar," the senior BJP leader told reporters here at the inauguration of the Delhi BJP's election office. The Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs was responding to a question about AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita. Earlier in the day, Sunita Kejriwal launched a WhatsApp campaign, urging people to support her husband, who is in ED custody in an excise policy-linked money-laundering case. In a digital media briefing, Sunita Kejriwal said her husband has challenged the "most corrupt and dictatorial forces" in the country and asked people to support him through their blessings and prayers. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in the money-laundering ca
Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh on Thursday called on RJD chief Lalu Prasad, amid rumours that the latter has begun to allot party tickets for the Lok Sabha polls. After meeting the RJD supremo, the Congress leader maintained that everything will be sorted out in good time, but ducked pointed queries about murmurs that Prasad has given tickets, unilaterally, for all the four seats going to polls in the first phase. "I keep meeting Lalu ji. There is nothing new in it, said Singh, who, incidentally, had started his political career with the RJD and was a minister in the UPA 1 government from that party's quota. He added that seat-sharing will be decided among constituents of the Mahagathbandhan' "in a few days", but did not reply to queries about the RJD reportedly moving forward on ticket distribution without taking allies into confidence. Besides the Congress and the RJD, the Mahagathbandhan' comprises the CPI (ML) Liberation, the CPI and the CPI(M). On Wednesday, i
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday raided multiple premises in Delhi-NCR as part of a money laundering investigation against a realty and liquor group promoted by Amit Katyal, an alleged "close associate" of RJD chief Lalu Prasad's family, official sources said. Katyal was arrested by the central agency last year in the alleged railways land-for-jobs scam involving Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, son and former deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, MP daughter Misa Bharti and some other children. A total of 27 premises of Haryana-based Krishn Buildtech Pvt Ltd in Delhi, Gurugram and Sonipat are being searched under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. The company is promoted by Amit Katyal and Rajesh Katyal. The probe pertains to alleged siphoning of homebuyer's fund worth Rs 400 crore by the promoters of the company and parking them abroad, they said. The agency alleged that Amit Katyal sent more than Rs 200 crore of homebuyer's funds to Sri ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the "poison of appeasement" is weakening as development takes place. Addressing a rally in Azamgarh, earlier seen as a family bastion of Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, the PM took a dig again at RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav's recent remark and said 140 crore Indians are his family. Modi said Azamgarh, which was once considered backward, is a shining star today and writing a new chapter of development for the country. "Today, the star of Azamgarh is shining. There was a time when there would be an event in Delhi and other states would join in. Today, the event is being held in Azamgarh and thousands of people from different parts of the country are connecting with Azamgarh," Modi said. Before his speech, Modi inaugurated and laid the foundations of projects worth Rs 34,700 crore in the state. The PM said one must not link these projects with elections and added that he sped up the development works to achieve the dream of a devel
The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday raided multiple locations in Patna as part of an alleged illegal sand mining linked money laundering case, official sources said. The premises of a person identified as Subash Yadav are being searched as part of a case registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. About seven premises are being searched by the central agency in and around Patna, they said. Yadav is said to be involved in sand mining in Bihar and has contested election on an RJD ticket earlier, they said. The money laundering case stems from some FIRs filed by the Bihar Police earlier.
Katyal is a businessman who is accused in the alleged land-for-jobs money laundering case, along with former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi.
Addressing a public meeting in Telangana's Adilabad, the PM said 1.4 billion people of the country were his family
On Monday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders suffixed their social media profiles with the phrase “Modi ka parivar” to proclaim that they were Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s family members. Watch t