Bihar: 'Made His Wife CM When Jailed', Nitish Kumar's Fresh Attack On Lalu Prasad; Tejashwi Hits Back

Amid the continuous verbal spat between CM Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, in another scathing attack on Lalu Prasad Yadav, Kumar on Friday launched a scathing attack and reminded that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patriarch had appointed his wife, Rabri Devi, as CM in 1997 when he was jailed in connection with the fodder scam.

"When Rabri Devi's husband (Lalu Prasad) went to jail, he made his wife the Chief Minister of the state. You belong to a party that has done nothing for women," Nitish Kumar said, as per an India Today report.

The Janata Dal United (JDU) chief's fresh attack on Lalu Prasad came days after he claimed that it was him who elevated Lalu Prasad in politics. Nitish Kumar had made the remarks while replying to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who called the current Bihar regime 'defunct' and claimed that people were distraught.

"What was there in Bihar earlier? It was me who made your father what he became. Even the people from your caste were asking me why I was doing this, but I still supported him," Nitish Kumar said while responding to Tejashwi Yadav.

Retaliating to his remarks, on former CM Rabri Devi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said "He should realise that Rabri Devi was Bihar's first ever woman CM, she is elder to him and she was the CM of united Bihar. I feel pity on CM over what his condition is... it doesn't suit to me to speak much on this, but such comments are being made regularly, and his deteriorating health proves that he is not capable to run Bihar..."

The Nitish-Tejashwi Verbal Spat

Bihar assembly on Tuesday witnessed a heated exchange between the Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav and members of the ruling NDA, over the functioning of the Nitish Kumar government.

A day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar claimed that he "made Lalu Yadav", Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) retaliated as RJD leader and Bihar's Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav claimed that he made Kumar chief minister "twice."

"Nitish Kumar said in the Assembly that he made Lalu Yadav the chief minister. He has helped many people in many ways... those supported by him became Prime Ministers... but Nitish Kumar should speak about himself. It was me who saved him twice by helping him retain the Chief Minister's post. Else, his party would have been finished," Tejashwi Yadav said earlier.

The spat between the RJD and the JD(U) took place ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Till January 2024, Nitish Kumar was in alliance with the RJD and the Congress. However, the 'Mahagathbandhan' fell apart as JD(U) rejoined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).