Lalu Prasad provoking disaffection by defending cow slaughter: Bhupender Yadav

Interview with BJP Rajya Sabha MP and party's chief strategist for Bihar polls

After being at the receiving end from Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on the issue of reservations, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has cornered the former Bihar CM for his comments defending cow slaughter. While Prasad struggles to distance himself from his comments after the Dadri incident that even Hindus ate beef, the BJP has upped the ante on the issue. Bhupender Yadav, BJP Rajya Sabha MP and party's chief strategist for Bihar polls, tells Archis Mohan that Prasad is trying to cause disaffection among people by defending cow slaughter.

Why is the BJP increasingly looking nervous as the elections draw near?

It isn't the BJP but the 'grand alliance' that is nervous. It shows in their strategy which is beset with confusion. At times they talk of development and in the same breath of caste.

But hasn't the controversy over reservations and discontent within BJP ranks after ticket distribution hurting the BJP?

Our stand on reservation is clear. The BJP is not in favour of any review of the current policy of reservation. The discontent is not in the BJP but among parties opposed to us. The Samajwadi Party, for instance, broke away from the 'grand alliance'.

The BJP has outdone Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in announcing poll sops by promising scootys and laptops to students. Isn't it the kind of competitive populism that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always stood against?

Prime Minister Modi has already put in motion infrastructure development in Bihar under the Rs 1.65 lakh crore package for the state. Scootys and laptops to encourage education for girl students, for which Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad did little, should be appreciated in this context and not viewed as poll sops.

Let alone development, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad couldn't even deliver their promise of social justice in 25-years of their rule. Governance suffered after Kumar parted ways with the BJP. You should ask Lalu ji what kind of development he is promising to the people of the state. His son (Tejaswi) has declared in his affidavit that he is only ninth pass but has assets worth nearly a crore.

How do you think the controversy over the Dadri incident will impact Bihar polls?
Our party stands for harmony among different castes and communities based on respect for each others' beliefs and sentiments, including on cow slaughter. Lalu Prasad Yadav is trying to provoke disaffection among communities. It is unfortunate for a Yadav to have said what he did by defending cow slaughter.

But hasn't the Dadri incident affected the international image of the PM and his government at a time when he is seeking foreign investments for 'Make in India?
It is erroneous to connect an issue that has to do with people's sentiments with the international image of the Prime Minister or our government.