Nothing wrong in giving cash to flood-hit: Lalu

Call it populism, theatrics or a political bid to 8220;encash8221; on human tragedy, but RJD will continue to distribute cash among the flood-hit people of Bihar.

Call it populism, theatrics or a political bid to 8220;encash8221; on human tragedy, but RJD will continue to distribute cash among the flood-hit people of Bihar. The party accepts that it8217;s chief Lalu Prasad Yadav distributed cash among flood victims during his three-day trip to Araria, Purnea and Supaul this week.

Unfazed by JDU8217;s criticism that this was 8220;brazen populism ahead of the Lok Sabha polls8221;, the main Opposition party in Bihar has decided to carry 8220;more cash8221; during the forthcoming trips by RJD leaders to the affected areas.

Lalu said there was 8220;nothing wrong8221; in helping the poor with some money. 8220;Money will bring anything but relief. We are also running kitchens for them,8221; said Prasad.

RJD national spokesperson Shyam Rajak added: 8220;Laluji is not at all perturbed with any political party or the electronic media for showing his cash distribution gesture as a preparation for the forthcoming elections.8221; He said Lalu believes that since elections were far away and no election code conduct was in place, distributing cash, grain or clothes were all the same.

Rajak said the 8220;criticism was coming from people suffering from a bourgeois mentality8221;. He said NDA had lost its ground after the floods and was at a loss for words at RJD8217;s 8220;big8221; gesture. 8220;It was Laluji who first went up to flood victims with help. The Chief Minister came out of his office only during the relief phase,8221; said Rajak.

The JDU, however, termed the gesture a gimmick and an attempt to fish in troubled waters. Party national general secretary Anil Pathak said: 8220;While there may not be anything wrong with Lalu distributing cash among flood victims, it does show his desperation to hold on to his shrinking vote bank. He has been trying to cash in on an opportunity presented by natural calamity8221;.

The JD-U asked the Railway Minister to put pressure on the Centre to get an additional aid package of Rs 9,000 crore released for reconstruction of the flood-ravaged areas at the earliest.

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The Congress, meanwhile, did not find anything wrong with Lalu distributing cash. Party spokesperson Premchand Mishra said: 8220;At least, Laluji is visible with his help, with cash or other materials8221;.