Amit Shah Bihar rally: In the campaign for Bihar Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has made the biggest and sharpest attack on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) so far. Addressing several election rallies in Bihar on Thursday, Shah clearly said that during the reign of Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi, there was ‘Jungle Raj’ in Bihar, which was ended by the NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Presenting the horrific figures of the old regime, he warned the voters that RJD and its allies want to bring back the same ‘Jungle Raj’, who will never allow development in Bihar. This aggressive stance of Amit Shah has completely focused the election debate on the issue of security and good governance.
Statistics of Jungle Raj: 32 thousand kidnappings and 12 massacres
Home Minister Amit Shah made direct and serious allegations against the RJD regime. He said that “there was jungle raj under the rule of Lalu and his wife Rabri.” Presenting the horrific figures of that period, he claimed that 32 thousand kidnappings had taken place during the Lalu-Rabri rule, which had created an atmosphere of fear in the entire state. Furthermore, he said that there were 12 major massacres during that period.
Amit Shah reminded voters that RJD’s aim is not to bring development in Bihar, but to bring back Jungle Raj. He said that “RJD wants to bring back Jungle Raj in Bihar. These people do not want to allow development in Bihar.” His statement forces voters to consider the issue of law and order.
Lakhisarai Rally: Promise of development and ‘Italy’ connection
Addressing an election rally in Lakhisarai, Amit Shah appealed to the voters to make the NDA win with an overwhelming majority. Enthusing the workers and voters, he said, “When you go to the booth, vote on the symbols of the NDA parties. Give such a victory to the NDA that its shocks are felt even in Italy.” His statement was not only an indirect attack on Rahul Gandhi, but his aim was also to give a message of international support towards NDA.
Shah also accused RJD of corruption. He said that during the reign of Lalu Yadav, fodder scam took place and land of poor people was taken in exchange of jobs. Besides, a scam also took place in the name of flood relief. On the contrary, he promised a major development for Lakhisarai and announced that “we will build a medical college in Lakhisarai within two years.” He said that NDA has brought the state of development out of the jungle raj situation in Bihar.
‘Italy’ is the maternal grandmother, hence the insult to Chhathi Maiya
While on one hand Amit Shah was attacking RJD, on the other hand opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was also continuously attacking NDA. Rahul Gandhi accused Amit Shah of saying that land was not available in Bihar, but “plots were given to an industrial house at throwaway prices.” Amit Shah responded to this in the Munger rally and made a direct personal attack on Rahul Gandhi. He described Rahul Gandhi as ignorant of Indian culture and accused him of insulting Chhathi Maiya. Amit Shah said, “Here Sita is worshiped as the sixth mother. Rahul Gandhi is ignorant of the culture of India. That is why he insulted this goddess because Italy is his maternal home.” This statement makes a holy festival like Chhath Puja a part of the election debate and also tries to touch the religious sentiments of the voters.
Culture vs bad governance: electoral polarization
Amit Shah’s rallies have divided the Bihar elections mainly into two poles of development vs jungle raj and Indian culture vs foreign influence. On one hand, Shah is strengthening the claims of development and good governance under the NDA, while on the other, he is portraying the RJD rule as an era of horrific crime and corruption. Besides, by taunting Rahul Gandhi with ‘Italy’ he is also raking up the issue of cultural nationalism. It will be interesting to see how the voters of Bihar, who have been suffering from lack of law and order and development for decades, react to these sharp attacks and promises.