Bihar’s political landscape heated up on Jananayak Karpoori Thakur’s 102nd birth anniversary as Agriculture Minister Ramkripal Yadav tore into the RJD. Labeling party president Lalu Prasad Yadav and his followers as the chief saboteurs of Thakur’s progressive ideology, Yadav’s comments have ignited fresh debate.
The trigger was RJD’s jayanti event at its Patna headquarters, graced by Tejashwi Yadav who offered respects at Thakur’s portrait. Senior leaders like Abdul Bari Siddiqui and Mangni Lal Mandal joined crowds of supporters in praising Thakur’s fight for social justice and upliftment of backwards.
Yadav, however, saw red. ‘Lalu made Karpoori Thakur CM, but now RJD crushes his very thoughts,’ he fumed. Questioning the event’s authenticity, he said Bihar’s statewide celebrations demand real emulation of Thakur’s principles, not hollow rituals.
Programs echoed Thakur’s legacy of equitable society-building, with RJD claiming extensive district-level outreach involving top brass. Yet Yadav insisted such displays pain Thakur’s spirit, urging a return to his core values of empowerment and fairness.
This confrontation spotlights Bihar’s enduring obsession with Thakur’s legacy—a backward class hero whose 1970s policies reshaped reservation quotas and challenged upper-caste dominance. Recent Bharat Ratna conferment has amplified his relevance in ongoing caste-based mobilization.
Ramkripal’s salvo, delivered amid festive commemorations, underscores how Bihar’s rival camps weaponize history. With elections looming, Thakur’s ideals remain a potent electoral flashpoint, compelling parties to prove their allegiance amid accusations of opportunism.