BJP put the speculations to rest.
- Two RJD MLAs, Vibha Devi and Prakash Veer, attended PM Modi's rally in Bihar's Gayaji
- PM Modi accused RJD of corruption during his address at the event
- BJP stated all MLAs and MPs were invited regardless of party affiliation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's massive rally in Bihar's Gayaji on Friday witnessed the presence of two Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLAs, causing a political flutter in the poll-bound state. The two lawmakers from Lalu Yadav's party, Vibha Devi and Prakash Veer, were seated at the back of the stage during the Prime Minister's address, on which he accused the RJD of corruption.
Vibha Devi was elected as a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly from the Nawada constituency in 2020. She is also the wife of former RJD MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav, who was recently acquitted in a rape case.
Prakash Veer is an RJD MLA from the Rajauli constituency.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, put the speculations to rest. BJP MP Vivek Thakur told NDTV that everyone was invited for the event, adding that it "depends on how people look at it".
"The fact of the matter is that various departments were involved. There were a lot of projects that were inaugurated. So in that, all MLAs, MLCs, MPs - irrespective of their party affiliations - were invited. Those who didn't turn up were largely from the Opposition alliance, and those who did turn up also had associations. So people are raising this whole issue," he said.
The MP added, "The governor was there, even the local MP of Jehanabad - an RJD member - was present, even CPM members were invited. It's only a question of who turned up and who didn't. Some didn't turn up because they had an opposition to the presence of the Prime Minister - which was unfortunate."
PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation of multiple projects worth over Rs 13,000 crore in Bihar. He also flagged off two trains -- Amrit Bharat Express between Gayaji and Delhi and Buddhist Circuit train between Vaishali and Koderma. The PM inaugurated the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Muzaffarpur and a sewerage treatment plant (STP) and sewerage network at Munger, constructed under the Namami Gange project, worth over Rs 520 crore.
The Prime Minister further handed over symbolic keys to over 12,000 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), an affordable rural housing scheme.
Addressing a massive rally, PM Modi targeted the RJD, Congress and other parties for opposing three bills that mandate the removal of any prime minister, chief ministers, and ministers who have been under arrest for 30 consecutive days.
"If a government employee is imprisoned for 50 hours, then he loses his job automatically, be it a driver, a clerk or a peon. But should a chief minister, a minister, or even a Prime Minister stay in the government even while being in jail. The Congress and RJD are opposing the bills. What are they scared of? Everybody in Bihar knows that RJD leaders always indulged in corrupt practices," he said.
