Lalu, Paswan bid to woo upper castes

PATNA: The Vijayotsava (victory celebration) of legendary freedom fighter Babu Kuer Singh was used by RJD-LJP combine to make a bid to woo upper caste voters.
“I never said ‘Bhurabal saaf karo’. I wish to clean this blot which I got during my rule due to some persons. The upper caste-backward caste chasm is no longer relevant. We are all Biharis,” RJD supremo Lalu Prasad said at a function organized by Babu Veer Kuer Singh Smriti Samaroh Samiti, an outfit floated by LJP leaders Rama Kishore Singh and Shailendra Pratap Singh.
LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan said all the demands made by the Samiti, including 10% quota for upper castes, would be met if the LJP-RJD alliance comes to power in the state after the assembly polls later this year.
“Chief minister Nitish Kumar is destroying castes and persons who brought him to power,” Paswan alleged and rattled off the names of Vijay Krishna, Digvijay Singh and Prabhunath Singh who, he said, have been at the receiving end of Nitish Kumar.
Lalu said nobody knows Nitish Kumar better than him. “All sorts of rumours were spread about me that I was against the upper castes. How many of you (Rajputs) were mukhiyas during my regime and how many of you are still there?” he asked.
Lalu made fun of Nitish’s claim on good governance.
“An NRI is beaten up at the behest of an IPS officer. A Japanese woman is gang-raped. Is this law and order?” he asked and alleged computers worth Rs 1,700 crore have been purchased for schools though there is no power or manpower to operate them.
Lalu recalled Nitish has made provisions for a bungalow and security for every ex-CM. “Even for this, he made a shortcut. Rabri Devi and I are entitled for separate bungalows but he framed the law in such a manner that if two ex-CMs happen to be very close relatives, they will get only one bungalow. I telephoned him and asked what if my wife and I separate in future. Nitish told me he would then amend the law. I told him he would not be around to make and amend laws by that time,” Lalu said.