Union Minister Giriraj Singh has launched a scathing attack on Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav following Yadav’s critical remarks on Bihar’s latest cabinet expansion. Singh employed a village proverb, “choron ko sab najar aate hain chor” , to underscore his accusation of hypocrisy against the RJD leadership.
Singh remarked, “Since Lalu Yadav’s government was a government of ‘gangsters’, they see others with the same lens.” This sharp retort came after Tejashwi Yadav criticised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet reshuffle, suggesting that the people of Bihar are seeking new leadership rather than a continuation of the current administration.
Earlier, Tejashwi Yadav had expressed his dissatisfaction with the cabinet expansion, stating, “People should look into the background as to how many cases are against those who have been inducted into the cabinet… This is the last cabinet expansion of the CM . NDA will be finished in 2025. The CM is not able to be at the post. He is tired. He has been losing his credibility. The people of Bihar don’t want a Khatara Gaadi but a newer one.”
Yadav further alleged that the Janata Dal [JD], Nitish Kumar’s party, has been “completely hijacked” by the Bharatiya Janata Party . He claimed, “It was not a cabinet expansion of Bihar but of the BJP. JD has been completely hijacked. The BJP wants to finish the JD. Many of the leaders are there in JD, but their hearts are with the BJP. The BJP wants to be a dominant force here, but their dream will remain a mere dream.”
The recent cabinet expansion saw seven BJP MLAs taking oath as ministers. Those inducted include Sanjay Saraogi, Sunil Kumar, Jibesh Mishra, Krishna Kumar Mantoo, Motilal Prasad, Vijay Kumar Mandal, and Raju Kumar Singh. This move has intensified the political discourse in Bihar, with opposition leaders interpreting it as a sign of the BJP’s growing influence over the JD.
Prashant Kishor, former election strategist and founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, also criticised the cabinet expansion. He suggested that the BJP is “enjoying power while using Nitish Kumar as a mask.” Kishor further alleged that the reshuffle, coming just months before the elections, was motivated by intentions to “loot public money and assuage some estranged castes.”
In response to these allegations, the JD has defended the cabinet expansion and criticised the RJD’s past governance. JD national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad stated that during the RJD rule under Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, Bihar faced numerous challenges, including caste-based violence and lawlessness. He asserted that Nitish Kumar has worked diligently to improve the state’s condition across various development metrics.
Prasad further claimed that in the upcoming assembly elections, the RJD will secure so few seats that Tejashwi Yadav may not even attain the status of Leader of Opposition. He urged Yadav to apologise to the people of Bihar before “misleading” them in the name of development.
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