RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav addresses the media at party office in Patna on Friday. Photo: Special Arrangement
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Friday (June 20, 2025) took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that whenever he visits Bihar, he extracts money from the pockets of the people of the State.
Mr. Yadav alleged that, in the name of a government function featuring the Prime Minister, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had actually organised a political rally and then forcefully brought people to Siwan to attend it.
“BJP is promoting itself with the hard-earned money of the people of Bihar. Modi ji’s speech neither fills anyone’s stomach nor provides employment to anyone. There was neither any content in his speech nor any talk in the interest of the common man,” Mr. Yadav told journalists.
State bears expenses
The Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly added that BJP flags and banners were seen everywhere during government functions which were paid for by the State government. About ₹100 crore is spent on every programme whenever the PM comes to Bihar, Mr. Yadav claimed.
“The BJP, which boasts of being the richest party in the world, organises its own programmes, and India’s poorest State, Bihar, bears the expenses. [Government] employees in Bihar do not get their salaries on time, the dues of MGNREGA workers are pending for six months, the students are not given scholarships, but the government’s expenses are spent on burnishing the face of Modi ji,” Mr. Yadav said, alleging that that the common people of Bihar are upset with the expenses incurred in the rally. “The people of Bihar are saying that they do not want an unconscious Chief Minister and a Prime Minister who steals the hard-earned money from the pocket of people in the name of organising his rally,” he added.
The BJP’s Bihar media in-charge Danish Iqbal said the Prime Minister’s successful rally in Siwan has left the Opposition completely unsettled.
Employment record
Mr. Yadav contrasted the Prime Minister’s record with that of his father, RJD chief and former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.
“While Laluji, as Railway Minister, worked hard to make the railways profitable, along with setting up the rail engine factory, wheel factory, coach factory in Bihar, and provided facilities to the common passenger by reducing the train fares every year. On the other hand, Modi ji has given such an expensive train to the people of Bihar by starting Vande Bharat train,” Mr. Yadav said.
He also slammed Mr. Modi’s record on employment. “Why did the Prime Minister not give details of the migration that has taken place in Bihar in the 20 years of the NDA government? The people of Bihar are not going to be fooled anymore. He did not talk about the problems of Bihar like migration, unemployment, opening new industries, IT parks, textile parks, better medical and education system in Bihar. He just made empty promises and left,” Mr. Yadav said, noting that during his own 17-month tenure, he had provided employment to the people of Sitamarhi by starting the Riga sugar mill.
Published – June 20, 2025 08:14 pm IST