Cakes and candles as Lalu turns 61
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad celebrated his 61st birthday in style on Wednesday with a cake in the shape of the 'garib rath', his train for the poor, hundreds of supporters in attendance, a cleanliness drive in the city and lunch for the poor.
Like millions of Indians, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar chief minister has said on many occasions that didn't know his exact date of birth. But his school certificate records June 11 as his birth date.
So that is the day celebrated as Lalu Prasad's birthday in a big way every year. Wednesday was no different for the minister as hundreds of supporters and leaders of his RJD gathered at the residence of his wife, leader of opposition in Bihar and former chief minister Rabri Devi.
Dressed in his usual white cotton kurta-payjama, Lalu Prasad blew out candles and then cut the large 'garib rath' cake, complete with engines and coaches, presented by his supporters to mark the turnaround in the Indian railways during his tenure as minister.
He shared the first piece of cake with his wife and other leaders before distributing sweets amongst the large gathering.
The day was also occasion for the party to organise a cleanliness drive in a predominantly dalit locality in the city.
"Lalu's birthday was celebrated with a difference this year to focus on creating awareness about cleanliness among the socially marginalised sections of society," said RJD MP from Patna Ram Kirpal Yadav.
Another leader, Shyam Rajak, added that the cleanliness drive would send the right message to the people, particularly the poorest of the poor.
A free lunch would also be organised for the poor to mark their chief's birthday.
When his party was in power, his supporters marked his birthday as communal harmony day.
Last year, Lalu Prasad was in New Delhi on the day, much to the disappointment of his supporters in Patna.
He was born in Phulwaria village in Gopalganj district and grew up as the son of a poor milkman. His parents, who did not own any land, lived in a thatched hut and struggled hard to earn a living.
'If cops behave like this…': Tejashwi Yadav visits murdered IndiGo manager's kin
Bihar top cop reviews Indigo manager murder case in Patna, breakthrough expected
- The DGP said the police had got some important clues after interrogating several persons and is expecting to work the case out, soon. The DGP also said that contract killers were employed to kill Rupesh Kumar.
Multi post EVMs to be used in Bihar panchayat polls for the first time
- The use of EVMs in rural polls in Bihar is going to take place for the first time but many other states, namely Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala, have used voting machines for panchayat polls held in the last few years.
Bihar LIC office under lens for selling insurance policy to Afghan national
- LIC policy was soled to the Afghan national based on forged documents. Besides the birth certificate, proof of residence and a photograph are needed to open an insurance policy with the LIC.
Kidnappers used 20 different phone numbers to dodge police, caught in 24hrs
- A police team led by the district intelligence unit (DIU) in-charge, Santosh Kumar Verma, cracked the case.
62% turnout on day 1 of vaccination drive in Bihar, tepid response to Covaxin
- As many as 18,122 beneficiaries out of a target of 29,240 across 301 session sites got the first dose of the vaccine in Bihar on Saturday.
'Don’t fear, it’s safe,' says sanitary staff who gets first vaccine jab in Bihar
- 35-year-old Babu was the first to receive the jab among 4.64 lakh healthcare workers in Bihar on Saturday.
‘Helpless and tired’: Tejashwi attacks Bihar CM after he loses his cool
- Kumar on Friday while speaking to reporters lost his cool at those who questioned him regarding the state of law and order in Bihar citing the death of IndiGo Patna station manager Rupesh Singh.
Bihar Congress vows not to let farm laws take effect; march to support farmers
- Congress workers raised slogan against the Central government over its reluctance to repeal the farm laws, which protesting farmers fear would make them vulnerable to exploitation by big corporates.
Nitish Fumes as journalists question him on murder case
Sanitation worker, driver to be first in Bihar to get Covid-19 vaccine
- Amit Kumar, an ambulance driver at the IGIMS, would be the second to be vaccinated.
Upset with questions on Indigo manager murder case, Nitish tears into Opposition
- Kumar attacked the Opposition led by RJD and suggested that they should look at the crime record when they were in power in Bihar.
3 held in Bihar for gang raping minor, damaging her eyes, survivor critical
- The survivor was gang raped and her eyes were damaged by the accused so that she is not able to identify the culprits
1st bird festival at Nagi- Nakti bird sanctuaries in Bihar to start from Jan 15
- Nagi-Nakti bird sanctuary has been selected for this event because of its uniqueness. Apart from the dense deciduous forests, moram land and variety of birds and animals, there’s unique rock formation in the area.
Branded liquor worth ₹90 lakh, smuggled to Bihar as mustard oil, seized
- The police searched the truck and were shocked to see that over 500 cartons of branded liquor were being smuggled under the name of mustard oil brands.