Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad on Thursday observed his 68th birthday and vowed that the secular front would pave way for the 'ghar wapsi' (send back) of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the coming Bihar elections.
Using the occasion to attack the BJP, Prasad said, "The coming Bihar Assembly elections are nothing but a 'dangal' (wrestling match). The entire country is watching it with keen interest. My wish is to have 'ghar wapsi' of the BJP (send back)...," Prasad said.
Prasad, who referred to the days when the saffron party had won just two seats in the 1984 Lok Sabha polls, slammed the BJP for shying away from declaring its 'face' for state polls.
"I am very politely asking the BJP not to indulge in hypocrisy. It should first declare its chief ministerial candidate and then contest the polls. (But) I will not be polite to it anymore from Friday," Prasad said.
The RJD chief slammed the saffron party for taking the public of the country for a ride by promising several things and fulfilling none of them. He also vowed to take all classes, religions and people together ‘to save the country from disintegrating’.
"I am supporting Nitish Kumar and he will be our next chief minister after the polls," he reiterated.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was among the galaxy of leaders who descended at his residence in the state capital to extend birthday wishes to the RJD chief. The two embraced each other providing a rare photo-op for the shutterbugs.
Nitish did not talk politics saying the occasion was of birthday and he has come simply to extend his good wishes to the RJD chief. Prasad's wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi and sister-in-law Girija Devi assisted him in cutting the 68-pound cake weighing equal to his age.
The event assumed more significance in view of coming together of 'bade bhai' (Prasad) and 'chhote bhai' (Kumar) to take on a resurgent BJP in the Assembly polls scheduled in September-October.
Prasad, who has been leading the attack on the BJP after declaration of Nitish Kumar as the chief ministerial face of the secular front was equally harsh on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He rubbished Centre's 'Jan Dhan Yojana' for financial inclusion and social security of people through opening bank accounts for them.
He claimed 99 per cent of the bank accounts were devoid of any money.
Asked about the allegations of 'jungle raj' attributed to the RJD rule in the state in the past, Prasad said, "Today the BJP has made the country a 'maha jungle' (big forest)."
Leaders of the two parties raised slogans in favour of Prasad and Nitish and their coming together. Prasad, holding Kumar tight, told reporters that their coming together was nothing unusual. "We have been together several times in our past lives, and we come from the same family," he added.
Referring to the 68th birthday, the RJD chief clarified that his age was just a guesswork done by his elders while getting him admitted to school.
"They just guessed and put my date of birth in 1948. I belonged to a class of people on the last rung of the society and there was no concept of documenting birth among them at that time. But I am happy that I was born in independent India," Prasad said.
Shying away from the limelight, Prasad's wife Rabri Devi said she has wished good health to him on the occasion. "I gifted him roses and wished him good health so that he can take on the BJP with full strength. It is a fight which is going to take place in Bihar and all over the country," Rabri Devi said.
Prasad's eldest son Tej Pratap was also present at the celebrations.
