Nitish not Lalu, can't stop Modi from entering Bihar: Rabri Devi

Patna, Oct 22: RJD leader Rabri Devi said Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar does not have the strength to stop Narendra Modi from coming to the state, the way her husband Lalu Prasad had stopped LK Advani during his rath yatra in 1990.

"Lalu Prasad had the guts to stop the rath of LK Advani but Nitish Kumar does not have the strength to stop Narendra Modi," she was quoted as saying by party spokesman Randhir Yadav.

Mr Advani was arrested on October 23, 1990 at Samastipur in Bihar by the then government of Lalu Prasad when the BJP patriarch was on his way to Ayodhya from Somnath via central India to garner support for the Ayodhya temple.

Hitting out at BJP too, Rabri Devi, who has been chosen by RJD leaders to 'guide' the party in the absence of her jailed husband Lalu Prasad, said Narendra Modi would have "no impact" in Bihar.

The former chief minister also criticised Nitish Kumar for the acquittal of all accused in Lakshamanpur-Bathe massacre in which 58 dalits were killed.

"Nitish Kumar should tell the people that if all the accused acquitted by Patna High Court were innocent then who killed the innocent the dalits?" she said.

She also attacked the ruling JD(U) for terming the June mid-day meal tragedy in Chapra an RJD "conspiracy".

Citing the chargesheet filed by police in the incident against the school principal and her husband, she asked the JD(U) as to on what basis it had accused the RJD in the incident.

PTI