In response to raids on several Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Wednesday described the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Income Tax (IT) department as three “jamaais” (sons in-law), which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sends to states where it is not in power.
While participating in a debate on the motion of confidence moved by the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government, the RJD heir apparent claimed that BJP attempted to “break” Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s party in order to “wipe out socialist ideology”.
“My father Lalu Prasad, mother Rabri Devi, my sisters and I are all paying the price for our commitment to socialism. The CM and I have the same ideology. You (BJP) cannot reap what we socialists have sown,” said the RJD leader.
He also expressed displeasure over reports that a mall being raided by CBI in Haryana’s Gurugram belonged to him.
“These media outlets should do some research. It belongs to someone based in Haryana, and was inaugurated by a BJP MP,” said Yadav.
In an apparent dig at the BJP’s inability to take a decision on who would now be the Leader of the Opposition, Yadav said: “People sitting in Delhi do not understand the spirit of Bihar. Intimidation does not work here. Sending three ‘jamaais‘ is not going to scare us. The BJP is looking like a wedding procession without the groom.”
Yadav also hailed the decision taken by Nitish Kumar as “courageous” and added that it brought a “new ray of hope” for the people of the country.
The RJD leader further said that BJP leaders should remember that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called the CM a socialist.
“You are all scared of facing 2024 polls as the united opposition in Bihar will trounce the BJP. Hence, the three ‘jamaais‘ are being sent,” he added.
The repeated use of the word “jamaai” irked BJP leaders, who rose in protest. In response, Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari told them that he would refer to the rulebook to ascertain if the term was unparliamentary. And in case it was unparliamentary, it would be expunged, added Hazari.
