PATNA: Leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Thursday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government over a gamut of issues including price rise and action against opposition leaders by federal agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department.
In a live session on social media, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader also announced that he will hold a roadshow in Patna on August 7 to protest against rising prices, unemployment, corruption, farmers’ distress due to floods and drought-like situation as part of the RJD’s statewide Pratiroadh march. He said the roadshow will start from Shaguna at Patna’s Khagaul-Danapur roundabout and conclude at the Dak Bungalow road.
“The BJP-led NDA government is trying to suppress the voice of opposition leaders by harassing them through federal agencies such CBI, ED and Income Tax. I will not be cowed down by such arm-twisting tactics,” he said, even as he slammed BJP national president JP Nadda for his recent statement that all other political parties will vanish and only BJP would exist in the country.
“The BJP national president’s statement only reflects the agenda of the national party to finish democracy and not just opposition parties. Bihar is the land of democracy and our state will never allow it to be eroded.,” he said.
The 32-year-old Yadav scion also took a swipe at the BJP, accusing the ruling party of failing to keep its promise of creating 19 lakh jobs in the runup to the 2020 assembly elections and blaming the central government for the inflation.
“A simple middle-class family earning ₹15000- ₹20000 has a hand-to-mouth existence as gas cylinders have skyrocketed while prices of essential items have hit the roof. Fuel prices are also increasing,” he said.
Yadav, who is back in Patna after staying in Delhi for the past few weeks to look after his ailing father, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, said that the situation in Bihar, especially in the farm sector, was also quite alarming owing to the drought-like situation in some areas and floods in other areas.
The opposition leader appealed to the youth to support the Pratirodh march to express their displeasure against the price rise and corruption in the country. He also asked his partymen to hold demonstrations and hold marches on August 7 in all state districts. “We all have to fight and struggle so that the government at the Centre and state listen to the voices of people,” he said.
