Patna: Lalu Prasad had possibly foreseen his fate and hence penned an emotional letter in which he has asked RJD workers to remain united and continue with his legacy.
The letter, in the form of a pamphlet, was distributed among RJD leaders at the meeting on Saturday at Lalu's 10 Circular Road residence here. Party veteran Jagdanand Singh read out the missive around 12.30pm, at least three hours before the CBI special judge pronounced the sentence for Lalu in Ranchi.
Lalu had handed over the letter to younger son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav a day before the CBI judge convicted him in the fodder scam case.
The RJD chief's perspicacity is evident from the emotional tone of the letter which makes an appeal to his supporters, party workers, leaders and voters.
The shrewd politician that he is, Lalu may have had a hunch that he would be physically away from Bihar politics for some time at least. He has asked all stakeholders of the party to remain united and sent the message to his supporters that the show must go on even in his absence.
The two-page letter, titled "Mere Pyare Biharwasion" talks about the struggle of Lalu's life and how he fought for the downtrodden and poor people all through his political career. Lalu asserts that he was not scared of anyone even if he is put behind bars for a hundred years.
"People's love and my struggle for the suppressed class is the only treasure I have earned in my life and for that I am ready to be in jail even for 100 years. The price I am paying at present is small in comparison to giving social and political rights to the backward classes," says the letter.
Lalu further writes that he will never compromise with people with communal and feudal mindsets.
"Lalu Prasad will always raise his voice for the suppressed class, backward class, poor people, Maha Dalits and minorities till his last breath. I am always in favour of humanity and will keep fighting for it until the people of Bihar are with me. I was never hungry for the chair and power and that was the reason that I stopped the rath of L.K. Advani which could have hampered harmony and peace in Bihar," the letter says.
Lalu has also tried to send the message to his supporters that chief minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were using central investigative agencies such as the CBI, income tax department and Enforcement Directorate to destroy him.
The RJD chief has expressed his anger that unnecessarily his children have been dragged into "false cases" with the motive of taking revenge. Lalu urged his supporters and well-wishers not to get demoralised by the events.
He has signed off his letter with the message of Satyamev Jayate and Jai Hind.
After the letter was read out, Tejashwi urged leaders to go to the grass-roots level and convey Lalu's message to each and every person in Bihar. Lalu's wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi urged party workers to knock on every door and distribute the letter to every household.
A programme was chalked out by the party for this. In the first phase, RJD workers and leaders will distribute the letter; the second phase will start after January 14 when the party will launch its Naya Yatra across Bihar.
