I’m the biggest ‘tantrik’: Lalu Prasad

PATNA: RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Saturday dismissed the video clip of a tantrik raising the slogan of ‘Lalu murdabad’, saying in his inimitable style, “I am the biggest tantrik.”
Lalu’s comment came after the video, uploaded to social media by Union minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday, showed chief minister Nitish Kumar meeting the 'tantrik'. Nitish, on the other hand, said there was no reason for him to be embarrassed over meeting a 100-year-old man who kissed him.
The NDA, however, took a dig at Nitish claiming that the JD (U) leader was resorting to occult to get rid of foe-turned-friend Lalu Prasad.
The JD (U) and RJD hit back at the BJP, saying the video clip was released by Giriraj out of desperation as the BJP had foreseen its defeat in the ongoing assembly polls.
Senior BJP functionary Shahnawaz Hussain said Nitish had turned to ‘tantrik’ after realising that people of Bihar have lost faith in him. Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular president and former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi wondered how the socialist leader like Nitish had started believing in superstition. “It will not help him win the election,” Manjhi said. Lok Janshakti Party chief and union minister Ram Vilas Paswan too echoed Manjhi’s tone.
“The release of an old video clip has exposed the character of BJP and its leaders. The saffron party is running a 24X7 dirty tricks department at its office and this clip is a product of that department,” JD(U) national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Pavan Kumar Varma said.
Flanked by RJD’s national spokesperson Manoj Kumar Jha and his Congress counterpart Sarwat Jehan Fatema, Verma said, “The Mahagathbandhan had not thought that BJP would stoop so low in desperation after reports that majority of voters favoured grand alliance candidates in the first and second phases of polling. They also demanded a thorough probe into making and uploading of the video clip.
“Giriraj is indulging in political pornography,” Jha said, adding we had earlier a bit of doubt regarding the grand alliance victory but this “video stunt” would now ensure the secular alliance’s win with a huge majority.
Senior Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam declined to make any comment on the video, saying he had not seen it.