The political atmosphere in Bihar has heated up after the statement made by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav during the Govardhan Puja ceremony. Now, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai has retaliated. He has challenged Lalu Prasad Yadav, saying that he is ready to hold a discussion in Raghopur, the constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. This will reveal who is responsible for cow slaughter and who is a cow protector. Nityanand Rai has also accused Lalu Prasad Yadav of not having faith in his own community, which is why he made his wife the Chief Minister. When asked about joining the RJD, he said that all the allegations made by Lalu Prasad are baseless.
During the Govardhan Puja ceremony held at the ISKCON temple in Patna, Lalu Prasad Yadav lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nityanand Rai, and Ram Kripal Yadav. He claimed that there is only one Yadav, not two. He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to weaken the Yadav community. Lalu Prasad Yadav also mentioned Nityanand Rai and Ram Kripal Yadav, stating that they used to be involved in bus station contracts and running tempos at the bus stand. However, they were expelled when their wrongdoings came to light. Lalu Prasad Yadav further revealed that Nityanand Rai had approached him to join his party. He also accused Nityanand Rai of taking cows and bulls from the Hajipur cattle fair to be slaughtered elsewhere. Lalu Prasad Yadav threatened to field his elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, against Nityanand Rai in the elections, which would result in his bail being cancelled.
The rivalry between Nityanand Rai and Lalu Prasad Yadav has intensified with these allegations. Both leaders are trying to gain an upper hand in Bihar politics. It remains to be seen how this verbal spat will affect the upcoming elections in the state.
