Khaini non-injurious to leaders’ reputation

Quite a few politicians of Bihar are addicted to khaini (tobacco). Recently, former Union minister and RJD MP Raghuvansh Prasad Singh was sitting on a dharna in Patna against the Forbesganj police firing and was seen taking tobacco wrapped in paper from one of his followers. When a mediaperson asked him what he was having, he conceded that he was habituated to chewing khaini. “We come from a rural background and in villages people are habituated to it,” he said. n fact, RJD chief Lalu Prasad had the habit of getting his khaini with chuna (edible lime) prepared by one of his followers. There are rumours that as chief minister he had asked a senior IAS officer to prepare khaini for him. “Our leaders do not hide their addiction to tobacco. In the JD(U), there are leaders who chew tobacco inside closed rooms,” claimed a senior RJD leader.

Power & change

State JD(U) chief Basistha Narayan Singh has enjoyed the respect of politicians cutting across party lines for his honesty and humble nature. He is affectionately called Basistha dada in political circles. However, a section of JD(U) workers claim that dada has changed after he took over as state JD(U) president from his predecessor Vijay Kumar Choudhary, who was inducted into the Nitish ministry. They cite the speech of Basistha at SK Memorial Hall recently when he warned that dissidents could do or say anything they wanted. “But the party will run as per the dictates of Nitish Kumar,” he declared. Party workers say Basistha is incapable f making such “dictatorial statements”. “He has ven changed his style. never saw him wearing silk clothes, he always used to wear cotton kurtas. ow he has switched to silk kurtas,” said a party worker. Of course, Basistha’s supporters claim that hese remarks are being made out of envy.

Gold is bold

Anil Kumar Sadhu, on-in-law of LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, oves flaunting SUVs and gold. Recently at a party programme, he was een wearing a heavy gold bracelet. A senior party leader advised him not to display such jewellery in public as it sends the wrong message to the masses. However, the advice went unheeded. “Even Ram Vilas Paswan was called a ive-star Dalit leader ecause of his flamboyant lifestyle but it hardly affected his committed voters,” said another JP leader, pointing ut that kin of prominent politicians in Bihar have never hesitated from flaunting their wealth. “In fact, flaunting wealth is a status symbol,” he said.

Urdu literacy mission

Chief minister Nitish Kumar is known to be a hard taskmaster. However, a section of his ministers were not able to digest his statement made at a public forum recently. itish, while praising Urdu declared that all ministers hould know the language. “That’s a tall order. At this ge, no one should expect me to start learning a language I cannot write. You cannot teach an old parrot,” said a minister. he ministers are hoping itish’s statement is a political” one and he is not serious about his ministers aking Urdu lessons.