A lathi for a black flag? Not interested
When AICC Bihar-in-charge Sanjay Nirupam announced that Congress workers would show L.K. Advani black flags and resist his yatra, quite a few young Congressmen were not amused. “Nirupam has ensured that we get hit by lathis by the police,” mourned a Youth Congress member, stressing the MP from Maharashtra was originally a Bihari and should know how brutal the Bihar police is when it comes to cracking down on opposition protests. “Nirupam himself should have led the protests. Instead, he has issued orders and gone back home,” the Youth Congress leader said. senior Congress leader declared that facing lathis of the police was a part of “political training” expected from political workers. “But of course things have changed and there is no political commitment among the workers,” he grumbled. However, the youngsters feel that the leaders should “show the way”. “They call us their followers. They should lead us even during facing lathicharges,” insisted another young Congress leader. Even as RJD chief, Lalu Prasad camped in Siwan for three days for the Doranda bypoll, eyebrows were being raised over the place he chose to stay. Lalu stayed in the farmhouse of former Siwan MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, the man in jail, convicted of three murders and many other cases. “It has happened at a time when Delhi police has caught hold of Shahabuddin’s sharpshooter who claims that he has killed 11 persons at the behest of the former MP,” mourned a RJD leader. Lalu has preferred to stay at the former MP’s farmhouse, as he believes that it will send a message to the members of minority community. “Laluji still lives in his own world and believes that Shahabuddin still calls the shots here. He refuses to recognise the fact that the RJD lost all the seats in Siwan,” said a JD(U) leader, stressing that Nitish Kumar is not the only politician whom Lalu refers as chhota (younger) bhai. “Laluji has often declared that Shahabuddin is his chhota bhai ignoring the ex-MPs criminal background,” the JD(U) leader said. The late Jaya Prakash Narayan is such a huge icon that every political party tries to associate his name in every ctivity. L.K. Advani’s rath yatra is starting off from Sitab Diara, JP’s ative village. However, on October 8, everybody appeared to have forgotten his death anniversary. The RJD was the only political party to hold a function to mark the occasion. “It’s hardly urprising. The so-called followers of JP forgot him even when he as alive and now they are fighting over his egacy,” said a senior Congress leader.Perfect stage for film promotion
Neetu Chandra, the Bollywood actress hailing from Patna, shared the stage with chief minister Nitish Kumar at a public function ecently. She used the occasion to promote her Bhojpuri film Deswa. The actress produced the film and presented its CD to the chief minister, requesting him to be present at the release of the film in Patna. Nitish remained non-committal. “It was always Lalu who used to entertain Bollywood actors at 1 Aney Marg. A stream of actors made a beeline for Lalu’s house during his regime. Nitish Kumar is just the opposite, notwithstanding the fact that stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Katrina Kaif have visited him. He normally avoids them,” said a JD(U) leader.
