Patna, Feb 24: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bihar, suggesting that it is politically motivated ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

In a social media post, Yadav stated, “The Prime Minister is in Bihar today, so there will be a shower of lies and statements in Bihar. It is an election year, so to confuse people, the foundation stone and inauguration of the central government’s schemes across the country will now be done from Bihar in a sham form, but Bihar will not get anything.”

During his visit to Bhagalpur, Prime Minister Modi released the 19th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, providing financial assistance to farmers nationwide and around 77 lakh farmers of Bihar will also benefit from it.

The event drew significant attendance, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and approximately 500,000 farmers.

In response to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s remarks, Janata Dal (United) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar defended the Prime Minister’s visit, emphasising the developmental initiatives undertaken by the “double engine” government in Bihar.

He dismissed Yadav’s comments as baseless, asserting that the people of Bihar are aware of the progress made under the current administration referring to the collaboration between the state and central administrations.

He said that such progress is unsettling for the opposition, leading them to make “fact-less statements.” Kumar also pointed out that Lalu Prasad Yadav, due to his legal convictions, is barred from contesting elections and has been politically side-lined, implying that his criticisms may not hold substantial weight.

“Lalu Prasad Yadav, who was politically house arrest by his son Tejashwi Yadav and not allowed to go into Karyakarta Darshan Sah Samvad Yatra. He was not allowed to contest elections due to a conviction by a court of law and he is reacting to the Prime Minister’s visit,” Kumar said.

Guwahati, Feb 24: The Congress on Monday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Assam over several issues, including the recent attack on its party MP Rakibul Hussain, while terming the nine years of the BJP rule in the northeastern state as “inefficient and incompetent”.

Jitendra Singh, the in-charge of the Congress in Assam, said: “As Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his two-day visit to Assam, the state has already experienced two major incidents of violence.

“We witnessed how BJP thugs were punching and kicking Assam police, and the police did not arrest them. Four days ago, our Lok Sabha MP, Rakibul Hussain, was brutally attacked by thugs in broad daylight in a busy marketplace, and the goons even attacked the police security officers and tried to snatch their weapons.”

He claimed that the state Congress president Bhupen Borah was also attacked in broad daylight.

“This sums up the BJP rule in Assam for 9 years – corrupt, inefficient, incompetent, rogue and divisive. The state is in deep crisis,” Singh added.

The Congress leader also claimed that the unemployment is at the peak during BJP’s regime and this is one of the reasons why law and order situation has deteriorated in Assam.

The opposition party also targeted Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the issue of corruption, and raised several questions regarding the business ventures of the CM’s wife.

In a statement, the Congress said: “It is intriguing how Assam CM’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma becomes a business tycoon in just 4 years! She has allegedly acquired multiple tea gardens.”

The party said “additionally, she has expanded her business empire by acquiring a news portal, opening a leading fast food outlet, and establishing an international school. Her company reportedly received a central subsidy of Rs 10 crore. It is now common knowledge in the state that massive land scams allegedly involving the Chief Minister’s family members have taken place”.

Singh further said that even as rathole coal mining was banned by the National Green Tribunal, the illegal business was going on in several places in Assam that resulted in the death of nine labourers in Umrangso in Dima Hasao district.

“Kanika Hojai, wife of Dima Hasao Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Debolal Garlosa, is accused of running an illegal coal mine in Umrangso and has gone into hiding. A 2021 report by Justice Brojendra Prasad Katakey found rampant illegal mining in Digboi forest division, causing multiple fatal accidents and involving local authority complicity,” the Congress leader added.

Jaipur, Feb 24: Congress on Monday staged a protest at Vidhan Sabha against the state minister Avinash Gehlot, who ‘insulted’ the opposition MLAs by referring the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as ‘Dadi’.

However, strict security measures were put in place, preventing the Congress workers from moving beyond Sahakar Bhawan.

Authorities also barricaded the road leading inward from Bharat Petrol Pump at 22 Godown Circle and installed two layers of barricades.

On February 21, during the Question Hour, Congress members disrupted proceedings by storming the well of the House in protest against Minister Avinash Gehlot’s remarks on former PM Indira Gandhi who referred her to as ‘Dadi’.

While responding to a question, Gehlot stated that in 2023-24, a particular scheme was named after “your Dadi, Indira Gandhi,” leading to protests by the Congress legislators.

As tensions escalated, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel defended the minister’s choice of words, stating that “Dadi” (grandmother) is a respectful term. However, his explanation further fueled the uproar, prompting Congress MLAs to approach the Speaker’s table. In response, the Speaker adjourned the House for 30 minutes.

The deadlock persisted throughout the day, leading to a total of four adjournments. Chief Whip Jogeshwar Garg moved a proposal to suspend several Congress MLAs, which Speaker Vasudev Devnani approved.

As a result, six legislators – Govind Singh Dotasra, Deputy Leader of Opposition Ramkesh Meena, Amin Kagzi, Zakir Hussain Gasavat, Hakam Ali Khan, and Sanjay Kumar – were suspended for the remainder of the budget session.

Meanwhile, Congress MLAs have continued their protest inside the Assembly for the fourth consecutive day, having spent three nights in the House.

The controversy, initially sparked by Minister Avinash Gehlot’s remarks, has deepened following the suspension of key Congress leaders, including state president Govind Singh Dotasra.

So far, attempts by the government to resolve the standoff have been unsuccessful.