Back in circulation after a while: Lalu’s ‘bhakchonhar’ comment shows his insatiable appetite for wordplay

RJD supremo’s comment, apparently directed at AICC in charge for Bihar affairs Bhakt Charan Das, came at a time when both RJD and Congress (allies of the Grand Alliance) have come face-to-face in Bihar’s by-polls as opponents

By Dheeraj Sinha

Patna: In the political landscape across the length and breadth of the country, few can claim to match Lalu Prasad’s wit and rhetoric and charm. On this score, even his detractors would rather give him a walkover. After a lengthy period during his incarceration, and later while battling ill health in National Capital, the RJD supremo was back in Patna, and so was his political vocab, with a big bang – ‘Bhakchonhar’!

Not many were surprised though, even as his latest barb – bhakchonhar – kicked up quite a storm. After all, this only betrays his penchant for attacking his political adversaries with his very own political lexicon.

His comment, apparently directed at AICC in charge for Bihar affairs Bhakt Charan Das, came at a time when both RJD and Congress (allies of the Grand Alliance) have come face-to-face in Bihar’s by-polls as opponents.

Sharply objecting to Lalu`s comment, senior Congress leaders in Patna have tried to paint it as “anti-Dalit” and time will soon let us all know whether RJD chief`s remark has really weaned away Dalit voters from the party in any significant manner. “It is unlikely to cast any shadow on the RJD’s prospects in the by-polls,” commented Pravin Bagi, a political analyst.

It was during his interaction with journalists in New Delhi before leaving for Patna after three years, that Lalu had called senior Congress leader Bhakt Charan Das bhakchonhar. But Lalu is – he is known for poking fun at his political adversaries and bickering with them – is no stranger to such political furore that kicks up each time he shoots off his witty comments.

Not out of sync

Since Lalu has courted controversies several times for his unsavoury remarks against his political opponents, his bhakchonhar jibe was definitely not out of sync.

Undeterred by multiple diseases, Lalu seems to be challenging his political adversaries with the same ease of yesteryear as if his age has failed to mellow him down.

While his remark on Das has evoked sharp reactions from party leaders, it’s unlikely Congress would be able to derive any electoral mileage from it in the by-polls, opined another political analyst.

Senior Congress leader and former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar has said that the RJD chief’s remark has hurt the self-respect of the entire Dalit community. She also said that it [the language] qualifies as an offence under the SC/ST Act.

Bihar Congress spokesperson Rajesh Rathore said that senior party leaders have already objected to Lalu`s remark against Das but it’s also true that Das showed badappan (nobility) and did not speak against the RJD chief for his ‘bhakchonhar’ comment.

“I do not want to speak on the political remarks of Lalu and his family but it should also be remembered that leaders from all other parties including BJP and JD (U) have their own style when it comes to attacking political opponents,” he noted.

Senior JD (U) leader and former minister Neeraj Kumar said that Lalu, as well as his family members, have “this habit of making unsavoury comments against political adversaries. Lalu only brought down the level of political discourse in Bihar through his remarks”, he alleged, recalling how governance had nosedived in his regime.

“Lalu promotes a ‘culture of lumpenisation’ and also loves to tease people,” the JD (U) leader alleged.

‘Bewakoof‘ versus ‘bhakchonhar’

Surprisingly, Lalu is now defending his ‘bhakchonhar’ jibe by claiming it’s not an abusive word. An unintelligent ‘bewakoof‘ is called ‘bhakchonhar’, commented Lalu while trying to explain the meaning of the Bihari slang after facing a barrage of flak from the Congress and other opposition leaders.

But even as the controversy triggered by his remark on Das has yet to fizzle out completely, he attacked Nitish Kumar by saying he will ensure ‘visarjan‘ (immersion) of the Bihar chief minister in the October 30 by-polls.

Nitish hit back saying Lalu can only get him shot and cannot do anything else.

Lalu’s wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi is also known to slam political opponents by not mincing her words. In 2009, she was quoted as saying, “Lalan Singh (JD-U leader) is the brother-in-law of Nitish … And Nitish is the brother-in-law of Lalan. That is why both of them are seen holding each other’s hands.”

Singh filed a defamation suit against Rabri but they reached a compromise in 2015 when RJD and JD (U) entered into an alliance.

In 2016, Rabri Devi was again in the thick of a controversy when she targeted senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi by commenting, “Modi Ji Nitish Kumar ko uthakar le jaaye aur apni bahan se shaadi karwa lein (Sushil Modi should give Nitish Kumar a lift and get him married to his sister).”

Lighter vein

Later, Rabri sought to downplay the remark saying she had said it in lighter vein.

Even Lalu’s elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, is not behind in the sharpest possible way when it comes to attacking political opponents. In 2017, Tej Pratap had threatened to “skin” Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the central government decided to downgrade the security cover of his father.

Not to be outdone in this art of political jugglery, Tej Pratap had called Bihar RJD president Jagdanand Singh a ‘Hitler’, at a public meeting in July this year, right in the presence of Singh.

Before the Bihar assembly elections last year, he had passed acerbic remarks against former Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh when he had resigned from the party’s vice-president post.

Tej Pratap Yadav had then said, “RJD is an ocean and Singh is like a mug of water whose coming/going will have no impact on the party.”

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, it may be noted, was a close confidant of Lalu Prasad. Lalu Prasad is said to have found Tej Pratap’s remark so disturbing that he called him to RIMS in Ranchi, Jharkhand, where he was undergoing treatment. Lalu had reportedly scolded him for his objectionable remarks against Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.

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Dheeraj Sinha is a senior journalist based in Patna. He has worked with leading newspapers in India and abroad. He is a regular contributor to digital news media. The views are his own.