Tejashwi calls PM Modi’s emotional outburst ‘impure politics’

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday (September 3) condemned the abuses hurled at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother during a recent joint rally of his party with the Congress, but dubbed the Prime Minister’s emotional outburst over the incident during the recent 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar as "impure and insincere politics".

Terming the incident as “unfortunate”, Yadav, the leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly, said that PM Modi went abroad after it happened and was seen smiling in photos, but “decided” to weep after returning home.

"After that unfortunate incident, the PM had gone abroad. We have seen pictures and photos of him smiling and laughing with foreign dignitaries. But as soon as he returned home, he decided it was time to weep," said Yadav as quoted by PTI.

Also Read: PM Modi slams Congress, RJD for ‘abusing’ his late mother in Bihar

‘BJP MLAs abused me’

Lashing out at the BJP-led NDA for calling a five-hour Bihar bandh on Thursday over the issue, Yadav said that BJP MLAs have "hurled choicest abuses" at him and his party colleagues on the floor of the House.

The controversy started after last week a purported video of a person screaming an expletive into a microphone at a small podium erected on the outskirts of Darbhanga by a local Congress leader went viral, even as the organiser claimed that no party functionary of consequence was present at the time of the incident.

The accused, a 25-year-old resident, has been arrested. The Congress-led INDIA bloc maintained that he was not a member of any of the constituent parties.

Also Read: Ground report: Tejashwi projects himself as Grand Alliance’s Bihar CM candidate

Slams PM over earlier remarks

Tejashwi questioned the PM’s sensibilities, accusing him of making several “deplorable” remarks against former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and an offensive comment on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"Where were the PM's sensibilities while making vulgar jibes like a girlfriend worth Rs 50 crore? He had also said so many deplorable things about Sonia Gandhi and made a below-the-belt remark on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's DNA. His party MLAs have hurled choicest abuses at me and my party colleagues on the floor of the assembly."

He said nobody condones the insult to anybody's mother, but the "BJP has a lot to answer for the issue of crude behaviour in public".

Also Read: Is saying ‘jumla’ a crime: Tejashwi Yadav on FIR over Modi post

Scoffs at BJP’s bandh call

Scoffing at the BJP’s call for a five-hour-long bandh called by the BJP on Thursday over the issue, the former Bihar deputy chief minister, who was with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the fortnight-long yatra, said, "They are in power and yet they are calling a bandh".

"The BJP is rattled by the success of our yatra that covered a distance of more than 1,300 kilometres across 25 districts. The bandh will only force the closure of schools for the day. But it happens on days when the PM comes to Bihar. So, the NDA must be fine with it," he added.

Also Read: New Bills to remove ministers target Nitish, Naidu: Tejashwi Yadav

Bandh on September 4

The women's wings of NDA constituents had on Tuesday called for a five-hour bandh in Bihar on September 4 to protest against the alleged abuse hurled at the PM during the yatra in the state recently.

The bandh will be in effect from 7 am to noon on Thursday, he said, adding that the general public will face minimal inconveniences.

Emergency services will be exempted from the purview of the bandh.

Also Read: Tejashwi Yadav alleges NDA MP, husband have dual EPIC cards

What PM said

Tejashwi’s comments come a day after the Prime Minister accused the Congress and RJD of abusing his deceased mother during political rallies. Speaking at a Bihar event, Modi said his mother, who lived over 100 years and had no political involvement, was insulted from the opposition parties' stage.

He described his mother's sacrifices, noting she raised the family in poverty and never bought new sarees for herself. Modi linked this to broader anti-women attitudes, claiming that when such mindsets gain power, women suffer most. He criticised the RJD era in Bihar for protecting criminals and enabling crimes against women, including murder and rape.

(With agency inputs)