RJD plans action against Gadkari for Lalu remarks

Outraged at Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari's offensive remarks against their chief Lalu Prasad, Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders in Bihar said they would launch a campaign against him and were also mulling court action.

Outraged at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari's offensive remarks against their chief Lalu Prasad, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders in Bihar said they would launch a campaign against him and were also mulling court action.

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Gadkari had likened Lalu Prasad and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to "dogs who lick the feet of the Congress" at a public rally in Chandigarh on Wednesday night but had retracted his words later, saying he didn't mean to be offensive.

But several RJD leaders continued to be furious. Party sources said a meeting of workers and leaders had been called Friday to discuss the issue.

"We will discuss suing Gadkari at Friday's meeting," said a senior leader.

Other programmes have been firmed up.

"RJD will burn effigies of Nitin Gadkari in Patna and across Bihar Thursday to protest his abusive remarks against Lalu Prasad," said RJD senior leader Ram Kirpal Yadav.

"We will not sit silent. We are ready to expose Gadkari's narrow mindset...," he said.

Taking back his words, Gadkari had said in Chandigarh that he was "just using a phrase in the speech to make a point".

"I take my words back if this has hurt anyone. I have not called them dogs personally. It was only a phrase. It should not be misunderstood. I was talking of their role," Gadkari had told IANS in Chandigarh immediately after making the remarks.