Patna, Aug 23 Bihar Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday hit back at the BJP after two FIRs were filed against him for his alleged comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the state on August 22.
The two FIRs have been separately filed in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh -- both states ruled by the BJP.
“Who is afraid of FIR? Now, even saying ‘jumla’ has become a crime. These people are scared of the truth. We are not afraid of any FIR,” said Tejashwi Yadav while addressing the ongoing Voter Rights Yatra in Katihar.
Tejashwi Yadav, in a post on social media platform X, shared PM Modi’s picture and wrote: “Today, a shop of lies and slogans will be set up in Gaya. Prime Minister Ji, with his boneless tongue, will create a Himalaya of lies and slogans in Gaya today. But the justice-loving people of Bihar will break these huge mountains of his lies and slogans like Dashrath Manjhi. Give an account of your eleven years and twenty years of the NDA government.”
The post also included a video, in which, according to BJP leaders, objectionable visuals such as lathi charge scenes were shown.
On the complaint of BJP MLA Milind Ramji Narote in Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), police registered a case against Tejashwi under sections 196(1)(A)(B), 356(2)(3), 352, and 353(2) of the IPC.
Narote alleged that Tejashwi’s remarks and visuals were derogatory and unconstitutional.
In Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, BJP Metropolitan President Shilpi Gupta lodged a similar FIR at Sadar Bazar police station, calling the post defamatory and inflammatory.
Sanjay Yadav, the RJD Rajya Sabha MP, asked, “Who promised Rs 15 lakh in every account? Who promised 2 crore jobs annually? Who said Bihar’s DNA was bad? If reminding people of broken promises is a crime, then file FIRs in every police station. PM Modi is the world’s biggest liar, and we will keep saying it.”
Shakti Singh Yadav, the RJD spokesperson, said, “Did the Election Commission ever act on PM Modi’s hate speeches? Cases are filed only against the opposition. This shows PM Modi is scared -- the fear of Tejashwi is visible in every speech.”
Shakeel Ahmed Khan, the Congress MLA, said that even if a thousand FIRs are filed, it won’t matter. “This yatra is to free democracy from the BJP’s grip. We will not let votes be stolen,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ashok Chaudhary, the Rural Work Minister and a JD-U leader, said that using decent language in public life is the minimum requirement.
“Tejashwi’s ideology is different. Under Nitish Kumar, Bihar has seen real development,” he said.
The FIRs have come at a time when the Voter Rights Yatra, led by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi with Tejashwi Yadav’s support, is gaining traction across Bihar.
Opposition parties claim the cases are part of a deliberate strategy to silence dissent, while the ruling NDA maintains that alleged “derogatory remarks” against the Prime Minister cross the limits of democratic decency.
--IANS
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