Lagatar24 Desk
Patna: The political battleground in Bihar turned fierce as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Rabri Devi engaged in a fiery exchange during a session in the Legislative Council. Nitish Kumar accused the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of neglecting women’s welfare during its rule and took a personal jibe at Lalu Yadav, saying he made his wife the Chief Minister before stepping down.
“Did Women Roam Naked Before 2005?” Rabri Devi Counters
Rabri Devi, who succeeded Lalu Prasad Yadav as Bihar’s Chief Minister after his resignation due to corruption allegations, hit back at Nitish Kumar, questioning his claims about the status of women in Bihar before his tenure.
“Did women in Bihar not have clothes before 2005? Were the women in his own family roaming around naked back then?” she retorted, slamming Nitish Kumar for his remarks.
Legislative Council Sparks Heated Exchange
The heated argument began when Rabri Devi, now Leader of Opposition in the Council, accused Nitish Kumar of failing to bring any real development to the state. This led to Nitish Kumar standing up in protest, stating that RJD was the party responsible for the state’s stagnation.
“Did the RJD government work for women? They did not even focus on women’s education. Today, women in Bihar can step out even at night, which was not the case during their rule. When Lalu Yadav stepped down, he made his wife the Chief Minister,” Nitish Kumar remarked.
As RJD members staged a walkout in protest, Rabri Devi did not hold back. Addressing reporters outside the assembly, she lashed out at Nitish Kumar, calling him “bhangri”, implying he speaks without thinking.
“He consumes bhaang and then comes to the assembly to talk nonsense about women. He insults women by asking if they had clothes before 2005. I ask him – did women from his own family roam around naked?” she said.
Tejashwi Yadav Also Reacts
Rabri Devi’s son and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, also criticized Nitish Kumar for his remarks.
“My mother is Bihar’s first woman Chief Minister. Nitish Kumar only knows how to shout at women. I pray that God gives him wisdom and cures him soon,” said Tejashwi.
Nitish Kumar’s Political Flip-Flops
Nitish Kumar, a key figure in Janata Dal politics in the 1990s, was once aligned with Lalu Yadav before their fallout. After becoming Chief Minister in 2005, he has frequently changed political allegiances:
✔ 2015: Allied with RJD and won the Bihar Assembly Elections
✔ 2017: Switched to BJP, rejoining NDA
✔ 2020: Fought elections with BJP but later switched again
✔ 2024: Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, he rejoined NDA, taking oath as CM for the ninth time
With Bihar’s political landscape heating up ahead of elections, this latest verbal sparring between Nitish Kumar and Rabri Devi underscores the ongoing power tussle in the state.