Lalu worked neither for welfare of backward classes nor Yadavs: Amit Shah in Bihar

Arrah (Bihar), May 24 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday launched a blistering attack on Lalu Prasad, alleging that the RJD chief worked neither for the welfare of backward classes nor the people belonging to his caste ‘Yadav’.

Addressing an election rally in favour of senior BJP leader and Union Minister R K Singh in Arrah, Shah said if Prasad, as part of the “arrogant” INDIA bloc, comes to power, “jungle raj, abduction, and gang war will return to Bihar”.

“People don’t want the return of ‘jungle raj’, gang war and abduction industry in Bihar. Lalu worked for neither the welfare of backward classes nor the people belonging to his own caste ‘Yadav’. They are under the wrong impression that Lalu works for them. He (Lalu) works for the promotion of his family only,” Shah said.

The BJP leader also said, “Lalu Ji allowed his two sons to become ministers, sent one daughter to Rajya Sabha, and another is contesting the Lok Sabha polls. He made his wife Rabri Devi the chief minister of Bihar. He made brothers of Rabri Devi ministers…He promotes only his sons and daughters. He can’t think for the welfare of people belonging to his own caste.”

He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for respecting people from backward classes and predicted a landslide victory for the NDA in Bihar. “The NDA under the leadership of Modi ji will win 400-plus seats. He has done a lot for Bihar”..

The BJP leader accused the Congress and the RJD of “trying to rob reservation from the quotas of SCs, STs and OBCs and give such benefits to Muslims”.

“The NDA under the leadership of Modi ji will not allow this to happen. Congress, Lalu Prasad and Mamata Banerjee are against reservations to backward classes,” he alleged.

“They have been exposed”, he said, referring to a Calcutta High Court order that cancelled OBC certificates issued in West Bengal since 2010.

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday struck down as illegal the OBC status of several classes in West Bengal granted since 2010, sparking a political debate in the middle of the Lok Sabha elections.

The court observed that the inclusion of 77 classes of Muslims in the list of backward categories was to treat them as a vote bank.

The home minister said, “After completion of the five phases of Lok Sabha elections, I can tell you the results. The sixth round of voting will take place tomorrow. Modi ji (who heads the NDA) has already bagged more than 310 seats.”

He also claimed, “Lalu ji’s party (RJD) will not be able to open its accounts. The INDIA alliance will face a humiliating defeat in this election”.

Shah alleged that Congress and RJD were against the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya from the very beginning.

“Congress leaders tried to scare us by saying that we cannot take back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir because Pakistan has atom bombs. PoK belongs to India. We will claim it back,” the BJP leader said.

The NDA government under the leadership of PM Modi has “ended terrorism and naxalism” in the country, he said.

“If CPI-ML (Liberation) candidate wins from the Arrah Lok Sabha seat, Naxalism will once again return to Bihar,” Shah claimed.

R K Singh, Union Minister for Power and Renewable Energy, is pitted against CPI(M-L) Liberation’s Sudama Prasad who is in the fray as a ‘Mahagathbandhan’ nominee.

Sudama Prasad is the CPI(M-L) Liberation sitting MLA from the Tararai assembly seat.

Singh, former union home secretary, has been representing the Arrah Lok Sabha seat since May 2014.

Voting will take place in Arrah on June 1.