Most BJP leaders are drunkards: Lalu Prasad

He was reacting to the arrest of Darbhanga BJP MLA Sanjay Saraogi’s brother, Ajay Saraogi under the Excise Act.

After blaming the BJP for the floods in Bihar, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Friday took another swipe at the opposition party in the state, saying “most of its leaders are drunkards”.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad conducting an aerial survey to flood-hit riverine area in Fatuha and Bakhtiarpur blocks of Patna on Tuesday. (Lalu Prasad on Twitter)

He was reacting to the arrest of Darbhanga BJP MLA Sanjay Saraogi’s brother, Ajay Saraogi under the Excise Act.

Police said they arrested Ajay Saraogi after he was caught drinking with his friends late on Thursday night and that they recovered liquor bottles from them. He was granted bail on Friday.

Prasad said, “How is the MLA wrong, if his brother is a drunkard? But stringent action should be taken against his brother under the provisions of the new law for violation of prohibition.”

“Uski khoob kutaai honi chahiye. Waise jyadetar BJP ke log piyakkad hotey hain (He should be thrashed. Even otherwise, most BJP leaders are drunkards),” he said.

The opposition BJP and the Grand Alliance have locked horns before over the more stringent punitive clauses in the Act.

Prasad also tried to clarify his statement that “flood victims were fortunate that the Ganga had come to their doorsteps”, saying he was misinterpreted and that he was trying to explain how the floods were both an ‘abhishaap (curse)’ and a ‘vardaan (blessing)’.

“Floods cause damage but leave behind a huge quantity of mud and make the soil fertile. It proves to be a blessing for farmers, especially in riverine areas,” he said, adding that the same perception is held by millions living in rural areas.

The BJP called his statement insensitive and accused him of politicising the calamity.

Prasad said in response to the criticisms, “the country is neither taking notice of senior Modi(PM), or junior Modi (Sushil Kumar Modi)’. He also hit out at the Prime Minister, saying while he visited Kashmir during the floods, he had chosen to ignore Bihar’s plight.

He said he had directed all his MLAs to oversee the ongoing relief and rescue operations in the flood-hit areas and to ensure that flood victims get food, clothes and other assistance.