Last Updated:
A viral video shows Lalu Yadav, when gifted a photograph of BR Ambedkar, not only failed to acknowledge it but also placed it near a chair on which he stretched his leg.
PM Modi will be back in poll-bound Bihar on Friday. (Photo: YouTube/ Narendra Modi)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will return to the election-bound state of Bihar on Friday, where he is expected to address the ongoing Ambedkar Row, which has significantly impacted Bihar’s political landscape. Sources indicate that Modi will likely criticise the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for allegedly disrespecting BR Ambedkar’s photograph on party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s birthday. A viral video shows that Yadav, when gifted the photograph, not only failed to acknowledge it but also appeared to place it disrespectfully near a chair on which he stretched his leg.
The Prime Minister’s visit to Bihar comes days after a letter from the National Commission for Scheduled Castes to the state’s Chief Secretary, seeking information on the actions taken regarding the incident. The letter demands details within 15 days, including the sections under which the FIR has been filed and whether any arrests have been made, thereby heightening pressure on the Yadav family.
Previously, the Bihar SC Commission also issued a notice to Lalu Yadav for allegedly insulting Dr BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary. The Congress and RJD have previously accused the BJP of being anti-Dalit and fearmongering about the eradication of the reservation system, which cost the BJP seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, with the party losing nine seats in Bihar and 28 in Uttar Pradesh.
According to a 2022 caste-based survey, Scheduled Castes (SCs) make up 19.65 per cent and Scheduled Tribes (STs) 1.68 per cent of Bihar’s population. With over 20 per cent of Bihar’s population potentially angered by the RJD and Congress, the BJP sees an opportunity to capitalise on this sentiment just before the elections. Consequently, the BJP has deployed key leaders, including Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Bhupendra Yadav, to target Lalu Yadav and the RJD.
All eyes will be on the Prime Minister as he visits Siwan, Bihar, to lay the foundation stone and inaugurate several development projects, encompassing water, rail, and power sectors. The Prime Minister is expected to unveil projects worth over Rs 10,000 crore, including the launch of a Vande Bharat Express train that will connect Pataliputra in Bihar with Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in …Read More
Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in … Read More
- First Published:
