‘Jungleraj waale’ badmouthing Maha Kumbh: PM Modi takes aim at Lalu Prasad in Bihar
On Monday, the PM released Rs 2,200 crore to 9.8 crore farmers, including around 75 lakh from Bihar. The state is set to hold Assembly elections later this year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during the release of the 19th installment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme and launch of various development projects, in Bhagalpur, Bihar. (PTI Photo) Releasing the 19th instalment of the farmers’ minimum income scheme PM Kisan Samman Nidhi at an event in Bihar’s Bhagalpur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took aim at the RJD and its chief, Lalu Prasad, referring to them as “jungleraj waale” and criticising the former chief minister for his recent comments on the Maha Kumbh.
“Maha Kumbh is a matter of great faith in our culture. Par ye jungleraj waale Maha Kumbh ko bhi koste hai (But those who have perpetuated jungleraj even badmouth Maha Kumbh),” Modi said in reference to Lalu’s comments from last week. In the wake of the stampede at the New Delhi railway station on February 15, Lalu had blamed the tragedy on a failure to manage the crowd heading to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, and courted controversy by saying that the Kumbh was “faltu (meaningless)”.
On Monday, the PM released Rs 2,200 crore to 9.8 crore farmers, including around 75 lakh from Bihar. The state is set to hold Assembly elections later this year.
He said farmers, women, the poor and the youth were the four pillars of the country and that he expected farmers to ensure that there is at least one Indian food item in the plates of people around the world.
“The poor, women power, the youth and farmers are the four pillars. Farmers are our priority. We have been working with full energy and have brought in some good schemes,” he said. Taking another dig at the RJD and referring to the fodder scam under the RJD government, Modi said, “But the ones who have eaten the fodder of animals cannot change the situation…”
The PM said that since the Centre launched the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi six years ago, Rs 3.70 lakh crore has been transferred to farmers through direct beneficiary transfers. “Our support money to farmers is equal to the entire (agriculture) budget during the regime of the Congress and the jungleraj wale,” Modi said.
On the push being given to Bihar’s popular makhana, or foxnuts, he said, “It is a super food. I will eat makhana 300 days out of 365 days a year. The proposed Makhana Board for Bihar will provide great help in food processing, value addition and marketing.”
He also mentioned the proposal for a new Vikramshila University near the site of the ancient university near Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur. “Like Nalanda University, Vikramshila University will be a fusion of the old and the new,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar thanked the Centre. “The Centre has made several announcements in the previous Budget and has sanctioned Greenfield airport, Makhana Board and Western Kosi Canal in this Budget. Bihar has been growing with a lot of help from the Centre,” he said.
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