‘Pandavas’ of NDA won’t allow return of ‘jungle raj’ in Bihar: Yogi

UP CM continues attacks on leaders of Mahagathbandhan, comprising Congress, RJD and Left parties, and asks people to “reject those who dismissed the existence of Lord Ram”

LUCKNOW Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday described the five constituents of the ruling NDA as the “Paanch Pandavas” and said the alliance would not allow the return of “jungle raj” in Bihar.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath during a public rally for the Bihar Assembly election, at Wazirganj constituency, in Gaya district of Bihar, Wednesday. (PTI Photo)

Besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he compared Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Rashtriya Lok Morcha leader Upendra Kushwaha, Hindustani Awam Morcha leader and union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Lok Janshakti Party leader and union minister Chirag Paswan to the “Pandavas” of the Mahabharat. The NDA alliance in Bihar comprises BJP, JD(U), LJP(R), HAM and RLM.

Adityanath made the remark in the poll-bound Bihar, where he addressed rallies in Wazirganj and Sasaram assembly segments. He continued his attacks on the leaders of the Mahagathbandhan, comprising Congress, RJD and Left parties, and asked people to “reject those who dismissed the existence of Lord Ram.”

He said the RJD government from 1990 to 2005 gave “jungle raj” to Bihar and the NDA, under the leadership of chief minister Nitish Kumar, was now working for the development of Bihar.

“Before 2005, Bihar was gripped by crime, caste conflicts, Maoism, and Naxalism. Both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh suffered from a loss of respect at the national and global levels,” said the UP CM. “During Lalu Prasad Yadav’s regime, the state witnessed over 60 caste massacres and more than 30,000 kidnappings, leaving businessmen, doctors, engineers and the elite living in fear,” he said, according to an official release.

Adityanath called the period a “dark era of jungle raj,” and said nearly 30-40% of Bihar’s population had migrated to Gorakhpur and Varanasi in search of safety and livelihood.

He said under the leadership of chief minister Nitish Kumar, Bihar had laid a strong foundation for good governance over the past two decades. “Along with improved road, rail and air connectivity, new waterway links are further strengthening Bihar’s connection with UP. Farmers’ produce and regional specialities such as makhana are now reaching global markets through these waterways,” said Adityanath.

He said “Every true Indian regards Lord Ram as their ancestor. Even when Congress, SP and RJD opposed the construction of the Ram Temple, Ram devotees courageously declared, ‘Ram Lalla hum ayenge, lathi goli khayenge, mandir yahin banyenge.” “Opposition’s parties deny the existence of Ram, Krishna and Vishnu; they reject the faith of Hindus; therefore, Hindus should reject them in return,” he added.

Adityanath said it was the RJD-led government that stopped the Ram Temple’s chariot and the SP led government in UP ordered firing on Ram devotees.

He said the SP government diverted public funds to construct boundary walls around graveyards, and the BJP government is using those resources to beautify temples and pilgrimage sites, improve facilities for devotees and uplift the poor.

Adityanath added: “The SP in UP is a close ally of the RJD and the Congress. During the SP government, a notorious mafia built massive, fort-like houses on government land in Lucknow…When our government came to power, I asked who had built them. Once identified, we acted. Bulldozers rolled in, the illegal structures were demolished and homes for the poor were built on that land. This morning, on Kartik Purnima, I handed over those houses in Lucknow.”

He said what the SP did in UP, the RJD and Congress did in Bihar, and the only solution to this is the NDA. “These parties thrived by dividing society and forming caste-based armies,” he warned. Referring to his government’s decision to change names, he said: “The SP, RJD and Congress ask why we change names. We do it to restore our civilizational identity. We renamed Faizabad to Ayodhya because Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram, and Faizabad was a symbol of foreign dominance. Similarly, the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna was always known as Prayagraj; the Mughals changed it to Allahabad, but we have restored its original name. They are disturbed by this, but we take pride in it. Even Congress might soon worry that Wazirganj’s name will be changed…”