Lalu may land in soup for making casteist remark while campaigning for son

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad’s alleged <g data-gr-id="25">castiest</g> remark during campaigning for his son Tejaswi Yadav on Sunday may come under the Election Commission (EC) lens, with Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi saying that any casteist remark was a breach of EC guidelines.

“Casteist remark is a breach of the EC guidelines for polls...the EC deal with such matters under its legal framework,” he said. Zaidi said that the EC would find out the details of the alleged casteist remarks made by Prasad and take appropriate action.

The RJD supremo had on Sunday described the Assembly polls as a direct fight between the backward and forward castes and given a call to Yadavas and other backward castes to rally behind the secular alliance to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Tejaswi Yadav is making is political debut from Raghopur Assembly constituency

Prasad’s remark has triggered a fresh war of words between the grand secular alliance and the NDA. JD(U) spokesman Ajay Alok defended Prasad, saying he only meant to alert backward castes against the statement of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, who questioned the reservation policy.

The NDA went hammer and tongs against Prasad’s comment. Addressing an election rally at Arwal, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi slammed Prasad for making such a comment. Stressing that the NDA aimed at development, he sarcastically said the quality roads that would be built by the future NDA government would be used both by forward and backward castes.

Yadav leaders in NDA were more vociferous in their attack, with Union Minister of State Ramkripal Yadav reminding Prasad that “it is not Bihar of 1990 but Bihar of 2015”. “Does Yadauvanshi mean you and your family?” asked Ramkripal Yadav as he castigated his former mentor.

Rashtriya Lok Samata Party  (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha assailed Prasad and said he was making the provocative appeal “as part of his survival bid.”  He said Nitish Kumar, who has been declared the CM face for the grand secular alliance, was merely a “mask” and the force behind the alliance was Prasad, whose casteist remarks make it clear which way they wish to take the state.