Taking on rivals Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad on their home turfs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today painted them as leaders with regressive agenda with "18th century mindset", attacking the Bihar Chief Minister over the "tantrik" controversy and said the RJD chief was leading "Rashtriya Jadu Tona" party.
In a string of poll rallies, Modi projected BJP's six-point programme for state's development as an alternative to the grand alliance of JD(U), RJD and the Congres. Three phases remain for the Bihar polls on October 28, November one and five.
The Prime Minister also made a strong rebuttal of of the attempts by the Opposition to paint BJP as anti-reservation, saying it was a "bundle of lies" and promised "no one can even touch" the provisions made with the efforts of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar for the upliftment of the deprived classes.
Kumar yesterday courted controversy as a video of his meeting a 'tantrik' went viral in which the tantrik is heard asking JD(U) leader why he had teamed up with Prasad, uttering "Nitish Zindabad and Lalu Murdabad.".
The video provided fresh ammunition to his BJP, which claimed that he was resorting to occult to get rid of foe-turned-friend Lalu.
Taking a jibe at the grand alliance over it in Nalanda, the home truf of Kumar, Modi said so far he knew only three players in Mahagatbandhan--Bada Bhai Lalu, Chhota Bhai Nitish and Madam Sonia Gandhi. "But for the first time I came to know there is also a fourth player, a tantrik. Now there are four players in this alliance of grand opportunism."
Wondering whether such a "farce" can be allowed to go on with democracy, he asked the youths in Nalanda, the home turf of Kumar, whether Bihar needs such "tantra-mantra (occult practices" to get rid of its problems.
"Can a Bihar of 21st century be made with those carrying forth the thinking of 18th century. Bihar needs to be freed from this mindset of 18th century. We do not need jantar Mantar, we need computers. Our youths should have laptops in their hand and no taaveej," Modi said alleging that those who were in power did nothing to develop the region.
Mocking the RJD chief in his once pocketborough Chhapra, Modi advised him to rename his party as "Rashtriya Jadu Tona Party" and become the country's biggest 'tantrik".'
Ridiculing Lalu's election meeting barbs at him, Modi said, "Laluji you are free to sacrifice black or white pigeon or blow chilly smoke. If you have to do this rename your party Rashtriya Janta Dal as Rashtriya Jadu Tona Party (party of occult practices) and being the head of the party, you will be the biggest 'tantrik' in the world."
Accusing Lalu and Nitish of spreading the "poison" of caste politics, he said that he is being targetted by them as they have not been able to digest how the son hailing from an extremely backward caste became the Prime Minister.
