Make voters aware about 'jungle raj' before NDA came to power in Bihar: PM to BJP workers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called upon BJP workers across Bihar to educate young voters about the "jungle raj" that prevailed in the state before the NDA came to power.

In an interaction with them via the 'NAMO app', Modi also asked booth level workers of the BJP, which has an alliance with four other parties in Bihar, to work in coordination with coalition partners and make people aware that "every vote they cast in favour of the NDA, will be for Modi".

In the virtual interaction that lasted about an hour, the PM took potshots at political adversaries, without mentioning them by name. On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "shakti" remark, he said, "I am a worshipper of shakti. But the INDI alliance members want to destroy shakti, which implies divine power. What havoc they would create if they achieve power, must be explained to the people." Referring to the Mithila region, which is believed to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita, Modi said, "It came as no surprise that when the 'pran pratishtha' of Ram temple at Ayodhya was taking place, people of Mithila seemed to be moved the most. They must always be reminded that there are political parties which had refused to acknowledge that Lord Ram ever existed, and never wanted the temple to be constructed".

He also took a veiled dig at the opposition RJD-Congress combine in Bihar, referring to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's remark that out of every rupee the Centre sent, only 15 paise could reach the people.

"Then came the time of 'jungle raj' in Bihar, when forget about the 15 paise, the entire rupee used to be eaten up,'' alleged Modi, calling attention to the nearly 15 years of rule by RJD president Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi, both of whom have been named in a number of corruption cases.

"It is essential to tell a first-time voter, who may not have been born during the 'jungle raj', about how the NDA, with our ally Nitish Kumar (JDU president) at the helm, turned things around," the prime minister said.

Modi began his address with a greeting in Bhojpuri, in keeping with his penchant for breaking into local languages during interaction with people.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)