PATNA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today addressed two massive public rallies in Siwan and Buxar, Bihar, launching a strong attack on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and its leader Lalu Prasad Yadav. He accused the RJD of returning Bihar to the days of “jungle raj” and urged people to reject the politics of crime and corruption.

Speaking in Siwan, Shah said this was his first visit to the district after nomination and that he had come to pay his respects to the people of Siwan. He recalled the period of what he called “twenty years of jungle raj” under Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, saying that during that time the people of Siwan had suffered terror and violence at the hands of former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin. “The land ran with blood, but the people never bowed. They ended the rule of Lalu–Rabri,” he said.

Shah strongly criticized the RJD for giving a ticket to Shahabuddin’s son Osama from Raghunathpur, calling it an attempt to revive the atmosphere of fear in the region. He declared that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, no one would be allowed to get away with crime. “Even if a hundred Shahabuddins come, they will not escape the law. Do not let jungle raj return, do not let Osama win, and do not let the ideology of Shahabuddin prevail,” he said.

The Union Minister told the crowd that the true Diwali would come on November 14, when, according to him, “Lalu’s son’s fate will be sealed.” Praising Nitish Kumar, Shah said that Bihar had been freed from jungle raj under Nitish’s leadership and had progressed further under the “double-engine government” of Modi at the Centre and Nitish in the state. “For the last eleven years, Modi ji and Nitish ji have worked together to take Bihar forward. Shahabuddin left Siwan bloodstained, but Modi ji has put Bihar on the path of development,” he said.

Listing the achievements of the Modi government, Shah said that in the last eleven years, crores of poor people across India have received free food grains, health insurance of Rs 5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat, tap water connections, and direct financial support to farmers. He said 12 crore toilets, 10 crore gas cylinders, and 4 crore houses have been provided under various central schemes, while the government has also taken measures like reducing GST on 395 items to benefit the common people.

Shah highlighted major infrastructure projects sanctioned for Siwan, including a four-lane road from Siwan to Masrath at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore, widening of the Chhapra–Siwan–Gopalganj road, construction of a new bypass, and rebuilding of Siwan railway station at Rs 92 crore. He also mentioned the establishment of a medical college at Merwa for Rs 568 crore, an engineering college, a pharmacy college, and a power grid worth Rs 180 crore. “Lalu ji, what development did you bring in twenty years?” he asked. “You ran scams — fodder scam, land-for-job scam, railway hotel scam, corruption in flood relief, and many others. Should Bihar again choose those who brought jungle raj and corruption?”

Shah also accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of supporting infiltrators, claiming that illegal immigrants were taking away the jobs and rations meant for local people. He said the BJP and NDA would ensure that infiltrators are identified and removed if voted back to power.

'Bihar will vote for development, not dynasty politics'

Later in the day, addressing a rally in Buxar, Shah invoked Chhathi Maiya and prayed that “jungle raj never returns to Bihar.” Referring again to RJD’s decision to field Osama, he said, “By giving Shahabuddin’s son a ticket, Lalu ji wants to frighten the people. But this is the land of Veer Kunwar Singh — the people here fear no one.”

He compared the RJD’s candidate with the NDA’s choice, Anand Mishra, a former Indian Police Service officer who, he said, had left a prestigious career to serve Bihar. “While Lalu gives tickets to criminals’ sons, we are giving tickets to capable sons of the soil,” he said, claiming that the NDA stood for good governance while the opposition was leading Bihar back to lawlessness.

Shah also spoke about the cultural and religious development of the region, noting that Buxar has been included in the Ramayana Circuit. He said that projects worth Rs 850 crore were underway to develop places associated with Lord Ram and Goddess Sita, including the Sitamarhi temple and Sita Mata’s final abode. He accused the Congress and RJD of opposing the Ram Temple in Ayodhya for vote-bank politics, adding that “the people of Bihar will give them a fitting reply.”

Continuing his attack on Lalu Prasad Yadav, Shah said, “Lalu ji has made five attempts to launch his son like a rocket, but unlike Sriharikota, all have failed.” He said the NDA under the leadership of Modi and Nitish represented development and good governance, while the opposition parties were focused only on promoting their own families. “The future of Bihar’s youth lies with the BJP, JD(U), Paswan ji, Manjhi ji, and Kushwaha ji,” he said.

Concluding his speeches, Amit Shah expressed confidence that the people of Bihar would once again choose the NDA in the upcoming elections. “On November 14, the people of Bihar will vote for good governance and ensure that jungle raj never returns to this sacred land,” he said.