Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday recalled what they went through during the dark days of Emergency and said that the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi put many of the leaders behind bars, but she never abused them.

In a post shared on X, the RJD chief shared an article “The Sangh Silence in 1975” written by him and journalist Nalin Verma. In the article, they attacked the BJP-led central government and said that although 1975 is a stain on the country’s democracy, let’s not forget who doesn’t respect the Opposition in 2024.

“I was the convener of the steering committee that Jayaprakash Narayan–had constituted to carry forward the movement against the excesses of Emergency imposed by the then PM Indira Gandhi. I was in jail under the Maintenance of Security Act (MISA) for over 15 months. My colleagues and I did not know many of the BJP ministers speaking about the Emergency today. We hadn’t heard of Modi, J P Nadda, and some of the PM’s other ministerial colleagues who today lecture us on the value of freedom,” he posted on X.

“Indira Gandhi put many of us behind bars, but she never abused us. Neither she nor her ministers called us “anti-national” or “unpatriotic”. She never enabled vandals to defile the memory of Babasaheb Ambedkar–the architect of our Constitution. 1975 is a stain on our democracy but let’s not forget who doesn’t respect the Opposition in 2024,” the RJD leader added.

On June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister, imposed a 21-month state of emergency. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, which is considered one of the most controversial periods in India’s political history.

Earlier on Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint sitting of the Parliament and criticised the imposition of ‘Emergency’.

“Emergency was the biggest and darkest chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country plunged into chaos during the Emergency, but the nation was victorious against such unconstitutional powers”, she said.

The remarks of the President have triggered reactions from the leaders of the INDIA bloc.

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to gain cheap applause by making the President deliver a speech filled with lies.

“Modi Ji is trying to gain cheap applause by making the Honorable President speak lies, which the people of India have already rejected in the 2024 elections,” Kharge wrote on his official ‘X’ account.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Patna:

RJD president Lalu Prasad’s daughter Rohini Acharya has been named in one of the FIRs registered in connection with “irregularities” during polling in Bihar’s Saran Lok Sabha constituency and post-poll clashes leading to the death of one person there earlier this week., officials said on Thursday.

Ms Acharya was the Mahagathbandhan candidate in Saran against BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

The state government extended the suspension on internet services in the district by two more days till May 25, while the process to attach properties of the accused was initiated, officials said.

One person was killed and two others were injured in post-poll violence at Bada Telpa area in Saran on Tuesday morning.

The police registered a total of four FIRs to probe into the alleged irregularities on May 20, the day of polling, and also the violence on Tuesday. Two persons have been so far arrested in this connection.

The police registered an FIR naming Ms Acharya under various sections of the Representation of People Act, 1951, based on a complaint filed by Manoj Kumar, a representative of the BJP’s Lok Sabha nominee from Saran.

In his complaint, Mr Kumar alleged “Rohni Acharya, along with her seven supporters and 50 unidentified people indulged in illegal/irregular practices in polling booth number 318 and 319 in Chapra assembly seat on May 20,” said the statement.

The complaint has been converted into an FIR, an official said.

The police also constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to nab the accused.

“The process to attach properties of absconding persons, who have failed to appear before the police, has also been initiated by the authorities concerned,” the Saran Police said in a statement on Thursday.

Saran District Magistrate Aman Samir said, “The situation in Saran is completely under control. Security personnel are keeping a strict vigil in the Bada Telpa area near Bhikhari Thakur Chowk following Tuesday’s incident.” As a precautionary measure, the government has extended the ban on internet services in the district by two more days till May 25, he said.

“The process to attach properties of absconding persons, who have failed to appear before the police, has been initiated,” Saran district SP Gaurav Mangla told PTI.

He, however, refused to reveal the exact number of persons whose properties are being attached.

Meanwhile, senior RJD leaders on Wednesday met family members of Chandan Rai, who was shot dead in the post-poll violence, and handed them over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh.

The RJD leaders also gave a cheque of Rs 2 lakh each to the family members of the two injured persons. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Patna:

Launching a scathing attack on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said an INDIA ally is talking about providing “full reservation” to Muslims and depriving people of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the OBC community.

The Prime Minister, who was addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar, referred to Mr Prasad as a leader “who ate fodder meant for animals” — a swipe at the RJD leader’s conviction in a fodder scam case. “The Congress is silent, but one of its allies confirmed the intentions of the INDI alliance today. One of their leaders, who was jailed in fodder scam (case) and was punished by the court. See his shamelessness. He is out on bail on health grounds. In your village, if someone does jail time, people stay away. The Congress has stooped so low that it is dancing with such people,” he said.

“He (Prasad) is saying Muslims should get reservation, and not just reservation, he says Muslims should get full reservation. What does this mean? This means they want to snatch away reservation from SC, ST and OBC communities and give it to Muslims,” he added.

The Prime Minister’s remarks are a part of the BJP’s big charge at the Congress, accusing the main Opposition party of planning to snatch reservation benefits from backward communities and give them to the Muslims. The Congress has denied any such plan and accused the ruling party of trying to create distraction in the election season.

Adding to the row, Mr Prasad yesterday said he was in favour of extending reservation benefits to Muslims. He also alleged that the BJP wants to do away with reservations. “The BJP is against the provision of reservations made in the Constitution. Hence, it wants to do away with both,” he said yesterday.

On the BJP’s charge that if voted to power, the Congress, RJD and other allies would “steal” reservations meant for OBCs and divert them to Muslims, the ailing leader said, “Muslims should get reservation, pura.”

The BJP responded that Mr Prasad’s statement was “very serious”. “Lalu Prasad Yadav said that full reservation should be provided to Muslims. This word, ‘pura ka pura’ (full) used by him in his statement is very serious. This makes it clear that they (INDIA) want to provide reservation to Muslims from the share of SCs, STs and OBCs,” BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi told the media.

Amid the BJP’s charge, Mr Prasad issued a fresh statement today, stressing that the basis of reservation is not religion but social backwardness. “The Prime Minister does not understand this. We implemented the Mandal Commission recommendations. Has Narendra Modi ever read them? Mandal Commission recommendations provide reservation to more than 3,500 backward castes, including may from other religions.”

Referring to the BJP, he said, “They are not a bigger and truer OBC than me, right? They do not understand the poor, the backward and Dalits more than me. They only make them fight.” The RJD patriarch alleged a long-time conspiracy by RSS and the BJP to finish reservation and the Constitution. “In 2000, the NDA government had even set up a Constitution review commission. They do not follow the Constitution. If they did, they would not use divisive language to spread hate,” he said.

New Delhi:

A day after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patriarch Lalu Yadav’s personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda, added “Modi ka parivar” to their social media handles today.

Addressing a rally of the INDIA Opposition bloc in Patna, the veteran politician had yesterday hit back at the Prime Minister’s charge of dynasty politics against Opposition parties, including RJD. “What can we do if Narendra Modi does not have a family of his own?” he had said. “He keeps bragging about the Ram temple. He is not even a true Hindu. In Hindu tradition, a son must shave his head and beard after the death of his parents. Modi did not do so when his mother died,” he had said.

In a clear message of solidarity, top BJP leaders today added “Modi ka parivar” to their social media handles. The leaders who added the phrase, meaning “Modi’s family”, to their handles on X include Mr Shah, Mr Nadda, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Anurag Thakur and veteran BJP leader and former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The “Modi ka parivar” campaign is on the lines of the “Main bhi chowkidar” drive ahead of the 2019 general election. BJP leaders had then added “Main bhi chowkidar (I am a watchman too)” to their social media handles to counter Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “Chowkidaar chor hai” jab at the Prime Minister.

Mr Yadav’s remarks on the Prime Minister yesterday drew a sharp response from BJP leaders in Bihar. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha yesterday described the remarks as “offensive” and “disrespectful”. “The language used by Lalu Prasad against our PM shows his mindset. They (RJD) are against Sanatan Dharma and are trying to destroy the centuries-old tradition,” he said. “They behave like political jokers. We must stop such forces. What our PM has done for Sanatan Dharma is well-known,” he said.