The women’s wings of NDA constituents will observe a five-hour bandh across Bihar on Thursday, September 4, to protest against alleged abusive slogans raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother during the Congress ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Darbhanga last week. The bandh, which will be in force from 7 am to noon, comes amid sharp criticism from BJP leaders over a purported video showing an unidentified person using a Hindi expletive against the Prime Minister from a stage set up for the yatra. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had participated in the rally on August 27.
Reason behind Bihar bandh
BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal said all NDA partners strongly condemned the abusive language used against the PM and his mother. “This was not just an insult to Modi’s mother but to all mothers. The women wings of the NDA constituents have decided to call a Bihar bandh on September 4 in protest,” he said.
Jaiswal assured that essential and emergency services will remain unaffected during the shutdown and added that the general public would face minimal inconvenience. He urged people to support the bandh and “stand against the act committed by the RJD and Congress”.
PM Modi abuse row
A video that surfaced on August 27 showed a man wrapped in a Congress flag allegedly using abusive language and making derogatory remarks from a stage at an event organised by a local Congress leader. The event was held to coincide with the passage of the Voter Adhikar Yatra through the area, though none of the leaders taking part in the rally were present there.
JDU state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha said “indecent comments” were made about Modi and “abusive remarks” were directed at his mother during the opposition’s rally. “This is not only an insult to democratic traditions but also to the revered position of a mother. The land of Bihar will not spare those who insult mothers and sisters,” he said, adding that NDA’s women’s wings will take to the streets on September 4.
Hindustani Awam Morcha state president Anil Kumar said the abusive language used from the opposition platform “reminds people of the ‘jungle raj’ culture". Maintaining that the incident has disgraced Bihar, Jaiswal said, “A mother is considered a divine figure. Mothers who raise us are like God. How can a person even think of insulting them?”
