RJD chief Lalu Prasad today came under attack over his "Hindus too eat beef" remark as BJP president Amit Shah questioned Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's "silence" on it.
"Why are Nitish Kumar and Rahul Gandhi silent on Lalu Prasad's comment that there is no difference between beef and goat meat ... Silence will not do. They have to make public whether they agree with Prasad's view or not," Shah said addressing an election meeting in Lakhisarai district.
In Patna, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi alleged it was not out of respect for cow that the RJD leader was rearing cattle, but to conceal the black money be made from the fodder scam.
"It's not out of respect for cow, a sacred animal for Hindus that Lalu Prasad is running dairy business and rearing cows, but he was doing so to hide black money that he has made out of the fodder scam," Sushil Modi tweeted.
Questioning the RJD supremo's faith in cow being a sacred animal, he said in another tweet, "He does not rear cows out of faith and that is why he advocates beef eating ...Lalu Prasad should clarify whether his sons and daughters know about making a dung cake or milk cow?"
A Muzaffarpur court has, meanwhile, ordered registration of an FIR against the RJD leader over his beef comments.
Under persistent attack from the BJP over his remarks that "Hindus too eat beef", Prasad had yesterday said its leaders did not consider cow a sacred animal and asked as to how many of them have cowsheds at their homes.
The RJD boss had said BJP leaders preferred to keep dogs as pets and slammed his rivals for questioning his "faith" in cows as he ran a cowshed with 100 to 500 animals.
"Kutte paalne wale hum gau palakon ko na sikhayen (those who keep dogs as pets should not teach us (cattle rearers) about anything," the RJD supremo had said in a retort to BJP leaders gunning for him over his controversial remarks.
As beef and cow occupied centrestage in Bihar's electoral discourse, a Muzaffarpur court ordered an FIR to be registered against the RJD supremo.
