Bihar polls: Sonia, Nitish, Lalu launch joint attack on PM Modi

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad together launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday ahead of Assembly polls in Bihar. Sharing the stage during a massive Swabhiman rally in Patna, the leaders of the three Opposition parties attacked the Modi regime and said the Prime Minister has nothing for the country in the first 15 months of his rule.

Addressing the rally first, Sonia Gandhi lashed lashed out at the Narendra Modi government for doing nothing other than show-baazi. She accused him of slashing allocations to all major social security schemes like MGNREGA.

"Modi-government has completed one-fourth of its time. Till now, what has it done other than show-baazi. It has done nothing. You know better than me." Targeting Modi for his DNA remarks, Gandhi said the Prime Minister has demeaned Bihar and shown its people in a bad light. "Some people take pleasure in mocking Bihar. Whenever they get opportunity they comment about its DNA and culture. They also call it BIMARU," the Congress president said.

Sonia showers praise on Lalu

"Congress contributed in taking the state forward. It gave approval to make policies. Lalu Prasad has also contributed but the state needs more," Gandhi said.

"This is an anti-farmer government. They want to grab their land and distribute it among their rich friends. We fought for the protection of farmers' rights in the Parliament and in the end government had to bow down," Gandhi said while referring to the NDA government's decision to allow Land Bill to lapse.

Nitish slams Modi over DNA remark

Addressing the rally, Nitish Kumar once again targeted Prime Minister Modi for his DNA remark and accused the PM of cheating the people of Bihar during last year's Lok Sabha polls.

"They questioned my DNA. Who am I? I am yours. My DNA is the same as anyone in Bihar. Bihar's history is history of civilization. So many ministers are visiting the state these days. It seems the national capital has shifted to Patna," Nitish said.

Reacting to the government's decision to let the land ordinance lapse, Nitish Kumar said, "Today is a day of joy. This was not the PM's Mann ki Baat but that of the people and the nation (to do away with the ordinance). The people of Bihar were misled (by BJP) during the Lok Sabha but they are not going to fall prey to such false promises this time," he said.

"The crowd here has proved that if anyone questions our Swabhimaan, we will not tolerate it and give an apt reply," said Nitish Kumar, who has been made the chief ministerial candidate of the grand alliance which includes the Congress, JD(U), RJD and Samajwadi Party.

BJP wants to create Hindu-Muslim rift: Lalu

Terming the JD(U)-RJD-Congress-SP coalition as Mangal Raaj Part-2, former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad said the BJP wants to create tension between Hindu-Muslim. "I know their design. Modi called us Jungle-Raaj Part-2 but this is Mangal Raaj Part-2," Lalu Prasad said. Also read : Swabhiman rally: I want smart villages, not smart cities, says Lalu Yadav

Mimicking MP Modi in his own style, Lalu Prasad cornered the PM over his poll promise of bringing back black money stashed abroad. "Modiji had said that everybody will get Rs 15 lakh each after black money will be brought back, but all promises fell flat. People are feeling duped," he said.

Playing the caste card he called for backward-Muslim consolidation to stand against the BJP. "Nitish and I are sons of backward caste. Sushil Modi is saying that from the time Lalu and Nitish have come together, there is return of jungleraj in the state. He is indirectly hinting that Yadavs are responsible for bringing jungleraj in the state. This is not the Bihar of 90s. This is the Bihar post 90s," Lalu said.

Referring to PM Modi's pet project of transforming cities into smart cities, Lalu said, "I don't want smart cities, I want smart villages."

Insisting on the disclosure of caste census data, Lalu Yadav said the government should reveal the caste of landless people. "Government census says every third family in villages is landless. Which caste do these landless people belong? Why is government not revealing it," he said.