RJD supremo Lalu Prasads eldest daughter Misa Bharti Saturday came under sharp attack from the BJP for her remarks against Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav that she had felt like chopping off the hands of her fathers former confidant upon hearing the news of his joining the saffron party ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Bharti, who lost to Yadav from Pataliputra Lok Sabha seat but got elected to the Rajya Sabha later, made the controversial remarks in presence of hundreds of RJD supporters in Bikram assembly segment which falls under the parliamentary constituency.
He (Ram Kripal Yadav) used to chop fodder and my father helped him in finding a foothold in politics. When I heard that he has joined hands with Sushil Kumar Modi (Bihar Deputy CM and BJP leader) I felt like chopping off his hands by the garansa he used for chopping fodder, Bharti was shown as saying in the video.
Although she reportedly made the remark on January 16, the matter came to light on Saturday when news channels beamed its footage.
A loyalist of Lalu Prasad, who had risen from the ranks, Yadav had represented the now abolished prestigious Patna Lok Sabha seat three times including in 2004 when he wrested back the constituency for the RJD by defeating former Union minister C P Thakur, who had won from there for two consecutive terms.
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In 2009, when following delimitation Patna was split into Patna Sahib and Pataliputra seats, Yadav had reportedly hoped to get a ticket for the latter, which comprises rural areas of Patna district.
He, however, had to sit back as Prasad himself entered the fray though he ended up losing.
Yadav was, meanwhile, placated with a berth in Rajya Sabha. However, in 2014 when the RJD supremo who was disqualified following conviction in a fodder scam case
chose to field Bharti, Yadav was won over by the BJP.
He won the seat for the party defeating his former mentors daughter by a slender margin and was rewarded with a berth in the Union Council of Ministers.
In a statement, BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand said Misa Bharti should apologize, in public and with folded hands, to Ram Kripal Yadav. If she fails to do so she will get a befitting reply from the people of Pataliputra in the Lok Sabha polls.
Speculations are rife that Bharti may again contest from Pataliputra as the party now claims that its chances are better with the Modi wave waning and the failing health and prolonged incarceration of Prasad rousing sympathy of voters.
Anand also alleged ever since Prasads younger son Tejashwi has taken over the reins of the party, Bharti and Tej Pratap the elder son have grown restless and seem to be competing for attention. The results are often ridiculous or downright disgusting. The partys senior leaders should ask her to apologize or, they should do so themselves on her behalf.
The BJP spokesman also alleged that experienced RJD leaders were often being humiliated by Prasads children and cited the example of Tej Prataps recent comment about Bhai Virendra Maner MLA and an aspirant for ticket from Pataliputra who was berated as having no standing.
Meanwhile, RJD national spokesman and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said in Delhi Bharti has expressed her pain over the betrayal of a man she once had great respect for. Please do not take the expression haath kaat dena literally. She has used it as a metaphor.
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