Laloo finally finds answer to media’s criticism: his party launches a tabloid

‘‘Very soon, we will start an Urdu version too,’’ says Ram Kripal Yadav, MP, Rajad’s publisher, adding that the paper will made available across Bihar.

The paper, the party and its leader hope, will take up issues they ‘‘feel strongly about’’ and are largely ignored by the ‘‘not very helpful’’ mainstream media.

For instance, Laloo claims ‘‘sufficient publicity’’ was not given to recent allegations levelled against BJP president L K Advani by his former daughter-in-law—allegations that had no certifiable basis.

Recently, the RJD chief was so incensed by an article in a Hindi newspaper on his cancelled mega rally in Patna that he called all editors based in the city for tea at his house. One of those who were there that evening wryly remarked that Laloo would have been bankrupt had there been a fine for each swear word.

Predictably, Rajad’s inaugural cover headline screams: ‘‘Advani Episode—Advani’s Silence is Acceptance.’’

Says publisher Ram Kripal Yadav: ‘‘The mainstream media is not very helpful and they are unwilling to take up issues that we feel strongly about. They don’t give sufficient coverage to the policies and achievements of our government and leader. On the other hand, they target us unfairly. Through our own newspaper, we will reach out to our workers and voters.’’

The results are obvious. Consider these:

• One report says: ‘Industrialisation is speedy in Bihar: Laloo Yadav’.

• Another front page report says all middle schools in Bihar will have a hostel in two years and all villages electricity and roads in the same time.

• The newspaper has also started a series ‘Lalooji Ke Rail Number One’, which talks about the ‘‘revolutionary changes’’ made by the Railway Minister. Seemingly inspired by a Laloo comment that ‘‘only Bhagwan Vishwakarma can prevent accidents’’, the Rajad says, ‘‘After taking over as Rail Minister, Lalooji has prayed to Lord Vishwakarma: ‘Please prevent accidents, I will take care of the rest’.’’

• The second part of ‘Lalooji Ke Rail’ is dedicated to Godhra—how the Rail Minister is committed to unearthing the conspiracy behind the burning of the Sabarmati Express coach in 2002.

The paper also devotes space to ‘‘exposing the media’’. It says the media is ‘‘jaundiced in its view of the RJD and its leaders… Lalooji was implicated in the fodder scam because of the media trial.’’

Another-half page article titled ‘Media Targets Lalooji’, is on how the media joined the BJP to exaggerate the Rail Minister’s absence in Parliament after the recent accident in Punjab in which 39 passengers died.

The ‘‘backwards, Dalits and the poor have identified this cunning nature of the media,’’ it says.

With circulation hitting 6,000—at least that’s what the publishers claim— what party faithfuls are looking for next: signed editorials by Laloo.