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Praising Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Thakur said, “When Nitish Kumar assumed power, good governance arrived,” and credited his administration for improvements in law and order.
Maithili Thakur said that before 2005, stepping out after evening hours was considered unsafe.
Singer-turned politician and Bihar BJP MLA Maithili Thakur launched a veiled attack at Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) veteran and former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav by likening his fondness for his younger son Tejashwi Yadav to that of Dhritarashtra, the blind king of Hastinapur, for prince Duryodhana.
During her maiden speech in the Bihar Assembly, she drew references from the Mahabharata to contrast past and present governance in the state, news agency PTI reported.
Without naming the RJD and its leaders, the singer-turned politician likened Bihar’s pre-2005 regime to the rule of Dhritarashtra, saying that the king was more concerned about his son Duryodhana than the welfare of his kingdom.
“Whenever I think about that time, I remember Dhritarashtra’s Hastinapur. The king was not worried about Hastinapur, only about his Duryodhana,” she said, in an apparent reference to Lalu Prasad and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.
Calling the earlier period an era of “jungle raj,” Thakur claimed Bihar suffered setbacks in education and public safety.
Referring to the Lalu-Rabri regime, Thakur said that during that time government teachers had to run from pillar to post to receive their salaries. She claimed that when midday meals were not provided in schools, children had to attend classes on empty stomachs. People were in distress because their daughters were unable to pursue education, yet those in power did not feel any compassion.
She said that before 2005, stepping out after evening hours was considered unsafe. “People used to say, ‘Don’t get out of the car after 5 pm; it’s dangerous.’ Today, as an artist and MLA, I leave Darbhanga at 3 am and reach my home in Patna safely. This change reflects improved law and order,” she said.
Praising Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Thakur said, “When Nitish Kumar assumed power, good governance arrived,” and credited his administration for improvements in law and order.
She also highlighted the impact of the state’s bicycle scheme for schoolgirls, saying it encouraged education in rural areas. “In my own village, where there was barely any discussion about schooling, girls began attending school after the cycle programme started. Though the opposition mocked it initially, today it stands as a model for the country,” she said.
Tejashwi Reacts
The remarks drew a sharp response from Tejashwi Yadav. Without naming Thakur directly, he criticised her on social media and accused her of making “snide remarks” about a “Jannayak”, a term RJD supporters use for Lalu Yadav.
“Some people think they have a thorough knowledge of politics as soon as they become a legislator. Without understanding even the a, b, c of legislature, they have the temerity to make snide remarks about a ‘Jannayak’ (people’s hero, an epithet RJD workers use for their supremo),” he said in a post on X.
The RJD leader also lambasted Thakur for remaining quiet on the rape and murder of a Dalit girl, a few weeks ago, in Darbhanga district, where her own constituency falls.
He also sarcastically reminded her that, though she spoke of “jungle raj” during RJD rule, her mother complained of valuables being stolen in their native district of Madhubani a few days ago, while her own party is in power in the state.
(With inputs from agencies)
February 22, 2026, 08:01 IST
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