By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: Both were giving a call for war against corruption but more targeting political entities and governments of their choice. While BJP leader LK Advani, whose Jan Chetna rath hit the state capital streets late evening from Sitabdiara in Saran district, was shouting against Congress-led UPA government at the centre, RJD leader and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad leading a big march towards Raj Bhawan in Patna was launching missiles towards Nitish Kumar-led NDA government of Bihar.
At noon on Tuesday (Oct. 11) when Advani was garlanding the statue of Jai Prakash Narayan in his birthplace Sitabdiara in Saran district, Lalu and his party leaders were garlanding the statue of the mass leader of the 1970s at Gandhi Maidan in the heart of Patna. Advani kicked off his 38-day Jan Chetna rath yatra against corruption and black money from JP’s village. After garlanding the statue of the leader in Patna, Lalu led a big march towards Raj Bhawan.
Stage of BJP rally to welcome Advani’s Jan Chetna Rath Yatra at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on 11th October 2011
October 11 was the birth anniversary of Jai Prakash Narayan.
Advani while addressing his second big public gathering of his sixth rath yatra at Gandhi Maidan at 8 pm, five hours behind schedule, called upon non-Congress parties to take on UPA government led by Congress at the centre. He was trying to imitate the JP’s call of 1970s against Congress.
Lalu, at R-Block roundabout at 4 pm, was throwing gauntlet at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Earlier his rally proceeded from Gandhi Maidan and moved through the main thoroughfares of the city enroute to Raj Bhawan, putting the city at halt.
Supporters of BJP holding a placard taunting PM Manmohan Singh at BJP rally to welcome Advani’s Jan Chetna Rath Yatra at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on 11th October 2011
Had Advani reached Patna on schedule there could have been clash of titans literally on the streets.
Lalu along with hundreds of RJD workers were stopped at R-Block and not allowed to proceed towards Raj Bhawan to submit a memorandum against rampant corruption in the state. Addressing the gathering, Lalu said: “Countdown of Nitish has begun as his ego has increased too much.” Now all communities feel cheated by Nitish, said Lalu and asked RJD workers to be ready for a massive court arrest to dethrone Nitish.
Lalu Prasad attacking chief minister Nitish Kumar in his address at R-Block roundabout in Patna on 11th October 2011
Besides corruption, Lalu gheraoed Nitish on several other issues including AMU centre in Kishanganj and Forbesganj police firing.
Using interrogative sentences, Lalu asked Nitish Govt: Why AMU branch has not yet come up in Kishanganj; Why small boys and kids were killed in Bhajanpur village of Forbesganj in police firing; Why no compensation has been paid to the victims even to this day; and Why a CBI enquiry was not ordered in the case.
A section of RJD’s Raj Bhawan march participants listening to Lalu at R-Block roundabout in Patna on 11th October 2011
Interestingly, CM Nitish had flagged off Advani’s rath earlier in the day in Sitabdiara. Both Lalu and Nitish were the disciple of JP during the 1970s movement but in late 1990s they parted ways. Nitish joined hands with RSS-backed political party BJP while Lalu remained on the other side of the aisle.
Later a delegation of five leaders of RJD met Governor Devanand Kunwar at Raj Bhawan and submitted a memorandum. The party demanded the governor to intervene to bring an end to rampant corruption in the state and to check anti-people policies and open loot of public funds in govt schemes. RJD also urged the governor to do his bid to prevent exploitation of minorities and Dalits, police repression, increase in crime and conspiracy to fan communal passions under Nitish-led NDA government of Bihar.
(Photos by Mudassir Rizwan of TwoCircles.net)