Bihar Election 2025: Modi And BJP Criticise Opposition's Cultural Choices

During Bihar's election campaign, PM Modi and the BJP accused the opposition of undermining Hindu traditions. They highlighted Lalu Yadav's Halloween celebration and linked it to disrespect for significant festivals like Chhath, prompting responses from Congress leaders.

In Bihar, the election campaign took a cultural twist on November 3. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the opposition Mahagathbandhan, which includes the RJD and Congress, of being anti-Hinduism. They contrasted this with RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav's family celebrating Halloween.

Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah criticised the opposition at multiple rallies. They accused them of disrespecting Hindu festivals while embracing Western traditions. The BJP reacted to a video showing Lalu Yadav celebrating Halloween with his grandchildren, shared by his daughter Rohini Acharya.

BJP's Criticism of Opposition

The BJP highlighted Lalu Yadav's past remark from February about the Kumbh festival being "meaningless." The BJP's farmers' wing posted on X: "Don't forget, people of Bihar, this is the same Lalu Yadav who called the grand festival of faith and spirituality Kumbh useless, and is now celebrating the foreign festival Halloween."

Amit Shah intensified this criticism by linking the RJD-Congress alliance to an insult against Chhath festival. At a rally in Shivhar, he claimed that Rahul Gandhi had insulted Chhathi Maiya by accusing PM Modi of creating a clean pond for himself in Delhi during Chhath celebrations.

Modi's Accusations Against Opposition

Prime Minister Modi also accused the RJD-Congress alliance of disrespecting Chhath Puja while opposing the Ram temple at Ayodhya. He suggested they were lenient towards "infiltrators." Speaking in an area with a significant Muslim population, he implied that Mahagathbandhan parties compromised national security by protecting infiltrators when BJP acted against them.

Lalu Prasad Yadav has mostly stayed in the background due to corruption cases and health issues. However, he remains a target for PM Modi and NDA over his past actions. The BJP used his family's Halloween celebration as evidence of prioritising Western culture over traditional festivals like Chhath.

Priyanka Gandhi's Response

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra responded to these accusations by mocking PM Modi. She suggested he create a new ministry called "Apamaan Mantralaya" (Ministry of Insults) since he often accuses opponents of insulting him. Addressing rallies in Saharsa and Lakhisarai districts, she accused Modi of diverting attention from issues like unemployment and corruption.

"Instead of talking about development," she said, "the PM keeps accusing every opposition leader of insulting the country." She urged him to address questions from Bihar's public about alleged misrule under NDA over two decades rather than claiming victimhood.