Cong hails Lalu, defends move to call him at party HQ function

The Congress on Saturday hailed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad as a “secular leader committed to the cause of social justice” and hit back at BJP leaders who had criticised the party’s decision to invite him as the chief guest at a function earlier this week to mark the 136th birth anniversary of Sri Krishna Singh, Bihar’s first chief minister and a towering Congress leader of his time.

Addressing the press at Sadaquat Ashram in Patna, the headquarter of Bihar Congress, All India Congress Committee (AICC) media panellist Prem Chandra Mishra said there was nothing wrong in inviting him (Lalu Prasad) as the chief guest, as he was not only a towering popular leader but also followed the principles and ideologies of Sri Krishna Singh in letter and spirit. “Prasad is one of the flag-bearers of Singh’s idea of governance, social empowerment,” said Mishra.

BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi had criticised the RJD chief’s participation at the event. “If Modi really considered Sri Krishna Singh as ‘Vikas Purush’, why did not he or his party ever acknowledge the same by paying homage to him,” asked Mishra.

On Friday, Modi had criticised the Congress for inviting Lalu Prasad to inaugurate the birth anniversary event and accused it of ignoring CM Nitish Kumar. “It was a shame to see Lalu Prasad inaugurating an event to mark the birth anniversary of Sri Krishna Singh, who, as CM, had laid the foundations of a strong and industry-rich infrastructure in Bihar,” he had said in a press statement.

Clarifying that the CM was also invited to the event, Mishra said Lalu Prasad had been following the ideology of social justice and economic empowerment of the downtrodden while maintaining secular credentials of the country and defending constitutional values of the country — all of which were envisioned by Sri Krishna Singh. “The Congress party is doing the same at the national level. Modi should focus on what was happening in his party. He has been paying the price for projecting Nitish Kumar as the PM material,” said Mishra.